Caged Animal
by swirlheart
Summary: While returning home from a mission, a member of the Leaf starts behaving strangely. Naruto is concerned, especially when he realizes that his friend isn't the only one displaying strange signs. The big question is what is happening to these people and what are they becoming? Rated T for fight scenes. No pairings. A touch of mystery, though. R&R please!
1. Chapter 1

**Caged Animal:**

Summary: While returning home from a mission, a member of the Leaf starts behaving strangely. Naruto is concerned, especially when he realizes that his friend isn't the only one displaying strange signs. The big question is what is happening to these people and what are they becoming? R&R please!

Naruto and its characters belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. This is just a fanfiction written for fun. I make no profit. The only thing I own is my imagination and the OCs that appear.

Please enjoy. ^-^

 **Chapter 1:**

Naruto and the rest of his team received an assignment that required them to travel to a new location in order to deliver a special package. Naruto questioned why they were given such an easy mission and why the recipients couldn't simply get the parcel through regular mail. Lady Tsunade explained that the package contained something very valuable and couldn't be risked being shipped unprotected.

The delivery was to be made to a noble family Naruto never heard of. They were also given instructions not to look inside the package. Their mission was a C-rank at best. At least, that was what Naruto thought until he gave the noble family's name out to Kakashi.

"What was that name again?" he asked, looking up from his book.

"The Arashi clan."

Kakashi lowered his book, which was a bad sign. "I'm familiar with that family. Those nobles pride themselves on their martial arts and are revered by many. In fact, that was how the clan rose to power. They weren't born into nobility, it was given to them."

"Given to them?"

"History says that their land was plagued by bandit attacks and people who wanted the take over the land for themselves. The people could not fight against their enemies. One young man stood up and challenged the enemies of the land, telling them to leave. He took them on singlehandedly and drove them off."

"All those people by himself?" Naruto asked with wide eyes. Even he needed help from clones. From what Kakashi was telling him, this man was no ninja.

"I doubt it was the entire population. I don't know the details, but I think he challenged the leader and won, which drove the rest of the group off," Kakashi told him. "But afterwards, the people began to respect the young man and looked up to him. When more enemies came, he drove them off. He protected the people and defended the land from many foes. In time, the people appointed him to power, deciding that they should be ruled by, not only a man of wisdom, but one with the power to protect. That was how he became a noble. All his decedents are skilled fighters as well."

"So they're born into power, but also have to defend the family's name, right? Like the Hyuga clan?"

"Well, they weren't appointed, but…"

Naruto was impressed. "Whoa. So these guys are the real deal. They're not ninja, but they have such amazing skills. I'd love to see them in action."

"Uh, Naruto, there's something else I have to mention before you go," Kakashi said quickly. "Not only are they very skilled, but they are very proud. And dangerous."

"What do you mean?"

"Naruto, the Arashi clan are revered and feared by the people. They've developed a reputation for being ill-tempered and quick to react. If they think you're trying to insult them or challenge them in any way, they will not hesitate to attack."

"Attack? But why?"

"I'm not sure their reason, but it's speculated that since they were appointed into a position of power, it can be taken away. If someone else comes along to challenge them in a fight, they will defend their title. They are the strongest in the land. If they cannot live up to those expectations or fulfill such promises, someone else will take their place. I'm sure that's what they're afraid of."

"You mean, if I go in there and challenge them and win, I would become the new noble?"

Kakashi shrugged. "It's a theory. I don't know for certain. But if this is what they think, they're going to defend their title no matter what. The clan is also used to being attacked. Some want their position, some want the land and all it has to offer, and some just want to attack them to see if they really are as strong as people say. The land has plenty of natural resources which I'm sure invaders would want."

"But we're just supposed to deliver a package. What's the harm in that?"

"The clan has come to perceive everything to be a potential threat. That's why I'm warning you before you go on this mission. The slightest thing could set them off." Then Kakashi added, "You're more mature now, but you still have a tendency to be blunt and speak your mind. That can get you in trouble. It can be harmless, but to them it could be an insult. You have to watch yourself on this mission. Please, try to keep your mouth shut as much as possible."

"You're worried about me? Sai's going on this mission, too, and he's worse than I am!" Naruto complained.

"I'm telling you this so you can keep Sai in line as well. I trust you."

Saying that made Naruto feel a little better. It was good to know Kakashi trusted him. He had mixed feelings about being responsible for Sai, however. If even the most minor of comments could set the noble family off, then it might have been in their best interest to put a gag in his mouth.

* * *

Within a short amount of time, Naruto and the others arrived at the home of the noble family. Sakura held the box containing the parcel they were to deliver. They walked up the large staircase to the main doors but were turned away by the two guards. When Sakura tried to explain that they were asked to come to the main door, the guard still refused to let them in.

"The masters of the house are training right now. No one is allowed inside," he told her. "You'll have to come back later."

"How much later?"

There was a sudden bang from behind the building followed by yelling.

"Not too much later," said the guard. It seemed these noises were a comment event.

Sakura looked down at the package in her arms. They weren't supposed to let it out of their sight so she couldn't leave it with the guard. She really didn't want to lug it around all day. Their entire journey was bad enough. Then again, what was a few more minutes?

"What should we do?" Sakura asked the others. It was just her, Naruto and Sai. Surely the three of them could come up with something to do in the meantime.

"Let's get some food. I'm starving," said Naruto.

"We shouldn't wander too far from here with this package," she told him.

"Should we just sit here and wait, then?"

The main door opened and the trio looked up. A young girl stood between the two guards wearing an outfit similar to Sakura's only much more expensive bearing the colors blue and green.

"Kado broke my staff so I need one of yours," she said, grabbing the spear the guard on the right carried. He surrendered it without a fuse. Then she spotted the ninja halfway down the stairs. "Who are they?"

"We're ninja from the Hidden Leaf," said Sakura and bowed. "We were asked to come here. In order to deliver this package."

The girl swung the spear over her shoulders and rested her arms on it. "Have you?"

Sakura nodded.

"Well, we're in the middle of training now so you'll have to come back in a bit."

"Alright. When is a good time?" Sakura asked her.

The girl shifted the spear from one shoulder to the other, distributing its weight with her hands. "We're usually done when we're done. But since I had to fetch a new weapon after my brother broke it, we're taking a break now so it might be a bit longer."

That wasn't a very clear answer.

Annoyed, Naruto asked, "Minutes or hours?" Then he remembered anything could set the family off and bit his lip.

The girl wasn't offended, but amused. "I'd say an hour or two."

They looked at each other, trying to think of how to spend their time.

"You can't just sit on the steps," said the girl. "Our parents will gobble you up."

She took the spear off her shoulders and cleared the steps in one leap, landing perfectly at the bottom. She tapped the end of the spear on the ground then used it to point down the street.

"I can take you to a place you'll like. It's one of my favorites."

The group looked at each other then walked down the stairs.

"Is it ok for you to just leave like this?" asked Sai. "Won't your parents be upset?"

"We're taking a break while I get a new weapon so it's ok. If we weren't taking a break, it'd be different. I can spare a few minutes." She stood tall and puffed out her chest. "I am Sayo, the youngest of the Arashi clan."

"I'm Sakura and this is Sai and Naruto."

"Nice to meet you. Come on," she said and started walking. "I'll show you a place."

* * *

Short first chapter, but things will pick up very soon.

Please review! ^-^


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

Sayo wasn't what Naruto was expecting. Sayo was driven, impulsive and energetic. He had envisioned someone who was quiet, proper and stern. Sayo acted like a young girl. Naruto was starting to think Kakashi told him all that stuff to scare him.

As they walked down the street with Sayo leading the way, Naruto started to take notice of the people around them. When they saw Sayo coming, they made a path for her.

Naruto had a strange sense of deja vu when he saw this. It reminded him a bit of his childhood when the locals would shamelessly avoid him at all costs. They didn't deter from the hateful looks either. They wanted him to know he was unwanted.

However, these looks weren't filled with hate or malice of any kind. These people weren't shunning Sayo. It wasn't the same look he was used to, but instead of believing it was something out of respect, he felt these looks were undesired. It seemed to Naruto that the people were trying to avoid her but not out of hate.

He was finally able to place the look as one of fear and uncertainty. It was similar to the looks children gave to strangers. More fitting yet, the look in a child's eyes when their strict parent called them into the room. They weren't sure what they had done, but feared being punished nevertheless.

No matter which way he looked at it, the chattering townspeople quickly becoming mute and backing away from the center of the street made Naruto uncomfortable.

When he looked at Sayo, she appeared to be used to it. She barely took notice of it, considering the whole event to be a normal day.

She took them down a side street which was quite busy. It took the people some time to realize she was there. In fact, her presence was only realized when someone came out of a store in a hurry and darted in front of her, causing Sayo to stop short.

The woman bowed, looking worried and kept apologizing. Sayo told her everything was alright and to be on her way.

While this was going on, a distracted flower shop employee bumped into Sai. "Sorry," they said, brushing off his shoulder and went back inside.

To prevent anyone else of bumping into the group, the people backed away to clear a path for them. They continued down the street without further incident.

Once away from the shopping district, they were taken through a dirt path lined by a white fence on one side. Naruto started to fall behind, looking back at the people who had returned going about their business now that the noble family member wasn't nearby. They only paused their lives for members of the noble family, it seemed. Comforted by the normal sounds of a busy town, Naruto caught up to his friends walking in the open. Wherever they were going, it was quiet away from the market but still within sight of the town itself.

Sayo brought the group to a large building and tapped on the door with the sharp end of the spear. "Open up!" she hollered at the closed doors.

The door opened and a man in a white coat leaned his head out, adjusting his glasses. "Miss Sayo, please. You'll frighten the animals."

"I am not so scary." She pointed the spear at the ninja, coming extremely close to stabbing Sakura with the tip. "I brought people here to look at the zoo."

"The zoo?"

Sayo turned around. "Yup. Zumi here runs the local zoo."

"It's Zumitsu, actually." The man in the coat sounded like he had been correcting her for some time and she still wasn't getting it.

"I love coming here. Zumi has lots of animals."

"It's Zumitsu."

"Are you going to let us in or not?" she asked, holding the spear behind her back.

Sighing, Zumitsu stepped aside and held the door open for them. Sayo skipped inside, never looking behind her to see if the others were following.

It didn't look like much of a zoo at first. Nothing but white floors and walls and a tall ceiling. Along the walls were large square windows. As they got closer, they could see the animals through the glass. They were housed in rooms displaying paintings of their natural habitat and lots of plantation.

"The zoo isn't open to the public right now so most of the animals are kept in here for the time being," explained the zookeeper. "Then they're moved to larger enclosures outdoors."

"Why don't you just keep them outside?" asked Naruto. "It looks like a factory in here."

"It's easier for me to give them their shots and keep them out of the cold. It's very controlled in here. Besides, if the animals are outside, I have to keep an eye out for any children who hop the fence to see them. Including this one." He glared at the girl pressing her face against the tiger enclosure.

"Do kids trespass often?" Sakura asked.

"Sometimes. It makes my job a lot harder since they're entering without my knowing, so I'll have no way of knowing if anyone is in here and if they run into trouble I won't be able to help them. You wouldn't believe what some of these kids do. I've caught a couple of boys trying to climb into one of the exhibits to play with a hippo. They don't realize these animals are dangerous. Most of these guys are plucked from the wild and placed here. Others were born here and have never seen their natural habitat. This is all they know."

"A baby panda was delivered here a few months ago," said Sayo. "It was so cute."

Zumitsu chuckled. "Yes. A few years back, Sayo came to the zoo with her siblings and watched as a baby giraffe was delivered. The fascination in her eyes. Since then, she's been a regular… Even when the zoo is not open."

"The public is allowed to see the birth of new animals?" Sakura asked.

"No, that's usually a private matter since I have to help. We make sure the animal is healthy before showing it off to the public. But that didn't stop this one from going through a door clearly marked 'private' to watch. Her siblings followed after her."

"And you let them stay?"

"As long as they view from behind the railing, it's fine. It's how we get customers. People love looking at baby animals. People line up asking where the new addition is and we tell them it will be on display with the adults soon. But when the place isn't open, I keep most of the animals in here. It's just easier. It might be a little smaller than their regular enclosures, but at least I don't have to walk all over the place to feed them. We keep the exhibits pretty separate. That way, the predators don't make the other animals nervous. Others aren't moved from their current areas, but still. It makes keeping track of them and sneaking children much easier to manage."

Naruto looked at the girl standing beside him and spoke his mind before he could think twice about it.

"Why don't we just hand you the package?" he asked her. "It's going to your family and this way we don't have to lug it around all day."

Sakura gave him a warning look, unwilling to raise her voice with a member of the noble family standing so close.

"What? Why can't we?"

"That isn't the mission, Naruto," Sakura hissed from across the hall. "That's why we didn't leave it with the guards."

"But this is different. She's a member of the family and the package is going to her family." He looked at Sayo. "I don't see why we can't just give you the thing. You can carry it, right?"

Sayo was looking at him with mild surprise.

Worried that Sayo might take offense to Naruto addressing her so casually and possibly suggesting that she do the work for them, Sakura tried to direct Sayo's attention to her instead.

"It's alright." Sakura forced herself to smile, trying to defuse the tension. "We don't mind carrying the package until your family's ready to receive it."

"But she's standing right here," Naruto insisted. "I don't see why we can't-"

"My family's going to want to be there when you hand it over," said Sayo. "Passing it off won't cut it. They'll want to meet the ones who came to deliver it."

"That's right," said Sakura. "Our mission won't be finished until we give it to them personally."

"Does your whole family really have to be there?" Naruto asked Sayo. "Seems like a waste of time to me. I still don't get why we can't just-"

Sakura crossed the hallway and kicked him. Hands full, there was little else she could do to shut him up.

Seeing Sayo staring at them, Sakura quickly bowed her head to Sayo. "Sorry about him. He doesn't get it. We'll be sure to deliver it to your house in front of your family as requested."

The young girl nodded her head and moved further down the hall, looking at the other displays.

"Why'd you do that for?" Naruto hissed, holding his knee.

Sakura bent down to hiss in his ear. "Think, you idiot. The noble family can get ticked off about anything. You really think they're going to let you talk to them that way?"

"What way?"

"Not only were you being so informal, you were suggesting she do the work for you. Work that we were assigned. We have to deliver this package to their house in person. The whole family wants to meet us. We've had missions like that before, remember?" Sakura told him. "What will Sayo and her family think if we do that? Not only is it rude, but they might see us as lazy. They might also be suspicious of us, thinking it's a trick of some kind. Leaving a package and not bothering to show up to meet the family. What will they think?"

"Fine, fine. I get it."

How soon he forgot how the noble family could be. He didn't think what he was doing or suggesting would be considered that offensive, but if the family was as temperamental as people claimed, it was probably best to walk on eggshells like everyone else.

Even so, looking at the girl pressing her nose against the glass of every enclosure, Naruto still couldn't see that energetic girl being malignant. So far, the only thing making her a danger was the way she was swinging around that spear.

"I want to see the monkeys!" Sayo called from the far end of the hall.

"We have plenty to see. Take your time," said Zumitsu.

"Don't you have to get back to your training?" asked Sai.

"Oh, yeah. I should get back." Sayo ran down the hall, stopping only once to speak to the zookeeper. "When you feed the animals, let me help you. Just come by the house and tell me. I don't want to miss it."

"Miss Sayo," the zookeeper said with a sigh, "you always try to stick your hand in the cages and I keep telling you it's dangerous."

"I'm not afraid."

"I can see that. But you should be. At least, be a little cautious. Some of these animals can tear your arm off."

Sayo tapped her spear on the floor. "Not if I tame them first."

The zookeeper sighed again. "Just like so many of the children who visit… If only I can make you understand that they are not like the stuffed animals you cuddle with at night. I'm glad you love them, but exercise caution is all I ask."

"I'm careful." Sayo looked at Naruto. "Come to the house in an hour. Zumi will take care of you in the meantime."

"It's Zumitsu."

Sayo ran out of the building and Zumitsu gave a loud sigh, as if venting all of his pent-up rage and annoyance.

"Does she get on your nerves a lot?" Naruto asked.

"Sometimes. She's a sweet girl and very feisty, but she throws caution to the wind so often. She's one of the children I've caught seeking into one of the cages. How she's lived to be twelve I'll never know."

"I'm sure it has something to do with her family's training," said Sai. "It has certainly made her fearless."

"It's amazing how so many children forget that the animals are dangerous. They fear humans more than they do the tigers and bears." Zumitsu groaned. "Sayo is one of the many children who takes a special interest in the carnivores. It's a common thing. But she's the only one I've seen who actually tries to climb in the pen with them."

"I thought they were in cages."

"They are. She tries to get in them. She'll climb over the railing and jump into the pits; she'll try to squeeze through the bars. That girl is determined."

Sakura turned away from an iguana tank to ask the zookeeper a question. "You're not the only one who works here, are you?"

"No, I have help. I run the place and I have a hand in everything that goes on here. I'm the only one who does certain things, though. Like handling the dangerous chemicals, giving the animals shots and handling the baby deliveries. Everyone else mostly feeds the animals, cleans the cages and keeps an eye on things. While the zoo is closed to the public, I'm pretty much the only one here."

"Isn't that dangerous?" she asked. "Shouldn't you have a spotter for when you go into some of these cages, especially when you feed the animals?"

"Sayo has done it from time to time. As long as she has an interest, I figured I could help nurture her curiosity and perhaps curb it a little. I just like that she's interested in something other than combat. That whole family is into warrior stuff. But to answer your question, I do get help with that sort of thing. But since I have a special bond with most of the animals here, I do a lot of it myself. Some animals are still leery toward the other workers. Sayo thinks some of them are coming around to her. She might be right."

"What if an animal attacks you when no one's around?" Sakura asked.

"I know how to handle them. There have been very few attacks. The trick is not to show fear. But you're right. It is a bit foolish." The zookeeper smiled. "Ah, don't worry. I have someone nearby when I do the dangerous stuff. No need to fret."

Sakura didn't know if this man was trying to impress them or not. She knew having a bond with an animal was special, but bond or not, getting into a cage with a wild animal was extremely dangerous. Not to mention foolish. If Zumitsu was telling the truth about doing some of the work by himself, then he was just as fearless as Sayo.

"Come, come. Let me show you the other animals. I'll even show you the ones you can pet." Zumitsu guided them through another door. "Some of these animals aren't behind glass, but bars, so watch yourself. Don't get too close."

* * *

It's subtle, but this visit is rather important. Continue reading to find out why.

Please review! ^-^


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

After an hour at the zoo, Sakura and the boys returned to the noble's home. She was getting tired of carrying the box, but didn't think Naruto could be trusted to take it. Not the one who got his wallet stolen by a monkey in a cage. Even after the warnings, Naruto still got too close to the bars. Luckily, the zookeeper rescued his wallet before they left.

No, the package was safer with her. Naruto might put it on a chair and walk away. Sakura never took her hands off it. Not for a minute. This package never left her sight.

They walked back up the staircase and this time the guards opened the doors for them. One guard had his spear back, or rather half of it. Whatever training Sayo was going though must have been intense.

Naruto was more at ease after meeting Sayo, but he knew he couldn't let his guard down. Just because Sayo acted a certain way didn't mean the rest of her family did.

He was right to think this. As soon as they were guided into a large room, a row of scowls greeted them. With the exception of Sayo, the noble family was stern and quiet. They eyed Naruto and his friends with suspicion the moment they walked in.

Sayo lifted her hand to wave at Naruto, but her movement caught the disapproving eyes of her family and quickly put it down. She glanced to the side, saw how the rest of her family was sitting, and mimicked their straight backs and frowns.

Clearly, Sayo was not like the rest of her family. The other nobles were grooming her to be just like them. Blocks of ice would have more warmth to them. Perhaps the frequent visits to the zoo kept Sayo cheerful and childlike.

Seeing this, Naruto knew these people were the ones Kakashi warned him about. Sayo might have found Naruto amusing, but their unwelcoming disposition told Naruto to expect different. Much different.

The woman spoke first. "I am Sukiyumi, first born and head of the Arashi clan. Speak your names."

She spoke diplomatically and annunciated each word in a loud, clear voice.

"I am Sakura, and with me are Naruto and Sai from the Leaf Village."

"State your purpose."

Sakura placed the box on the floor in front of her and bowed a second time. "We've come to deliver this package to the noble family."

The woman called Sukiyumi eyes the box as if it were rigged to explode. "Bring it here."

Sakura stood up and carried the box over to the woman. She held up her hand, instructing Sakura to place it on the floor in front of her. She did so and the woman gestured for her to step back.

Sukiyumi looked pleased. "At last, it has arrived." She stood and walked the two step it took to reach the box, then knelt down to open it. "See here, children. You are about to see one of the many treasures this family holds dear."

Sayo and her two older brothers leaned forward to see inside.

Sukiyumi carefully opened the box and pulled out a second smaller box decorated with intricate carvings. She placed the fine wooden box on top of the one used to carry it and lifted the cover.

Once they received the package, their mission was complete and they could all go home. Naruto thought all they had to do was hand it over and leave, but instead they had to sit through a ritual which involved waiting for the actual box to be opened. Then they could leave.

At least, it was almost over. He didn't know how much longer he could sit here under the family's hateful gazes. It was so uncomfortable.

Finally, the lid was off the box. The woman peered inside.

"Where is it?"

"Huh?"

"Where is it?" Sukiyumi asked again. She slammed the lid on her knee and glared at Sakura. "You dare to give us an empty box?" she spat angrily.

Sakura's eyes went wide. "Empty?"

The head of the Arashi clan turned the box upside-down and shook it, proving it had nothing inside. She threw the box to the floor and stood up, her eyes blazing.

Sakura did not understand. She held the box the entire time. It was sealed shut inside another box she never took her hands off. It was never out of her sight. How could this have happened?

"Where is it?" Sukiyumi demanded.

"I- I don't know," Sakura said, almost frantic. "I swear, I-"

"Are you offering us insult?" she spat.

"No! No, I-"

"Then where is it?"

Sakura had no answer. "I don't know. I carried the box all the way here and no one else touched it. I don't know how-"

"Then you stole it!"

Sakura shook her head from side to side. "No! No, I didn't. I would never."

"The box was in your care and you present it to us empty after saying it never left your hands. You must have taken it."

"I didn't. I don't know what happened to-"

Sukiyumi didn't want to hear another word. Her mind was made up. "My family will not stand for this. How dare you come into my home and look to deceive us."

Sai tried to help his teammate. "Sakura would never let something happen to an important delivery. There must be a reasonable explanation for-"

Sai was cut off by a knife entering his left forearm. If his arm had been in any other position, the knife would have entered his chest.

Taken by surprise, Sai fell over and tried to pull the knife out of his arm without causing himself further damage.

Naruto and Sakura looked at the noble family who all held weapons in their hands. The one who had thrown the knife was the mother. With a flick of her wrist a second knife appeared and she held it by her ear, ready to throw.

Displeasing the noble family resulted in this. Naruto and Sakura feared they were trying to kill them.

"We're sorry," Sakura said desperately. "I'm sorry. We'll try to find-"

"Enough!" Sukiyumi snapped and threw the knife at Sakura's head.

On instinct, she deflected it with her kunai. That only made Sukiyumi's two sons stand up.

Sayo held up her own weapon, but gave them a message with her eyes to run. She was going to join her family in an attack, but she wanted Naruto and the others to escape.

Sai pulled the knife out of his arm and Naruto grabbed him. The three of them ran from the room and down the hall and out the door. They did not stop running. Naruto looked back just once and saw the two brothers standing on the steps of their home, one carrying an axe and the other brandishing a pike. Not trusting them to stop at the stairs, Naruto kept going.

They ran into town, looking for a place to hide. It wasn't safe out in the open like this. Sakura looked at Sai's bleeding arm and knew he needed treatment. They couldn't stop here in the middle of the street. They had to find shelter.

So she wouldn't give away their position by yelling, Sakura started knocking on doors, calling for help. No one opened their door. Some even closed the curtains.

Naruto was about to start shouting for someone to open their door when someone did. The last door Sakura knocked on opened and a man pulled them inside with his voice.

"Come in quickly."

They ran inside and the man closed the door. He was an older man, probably in his fifties, and wore a modest dress shirt buttoned up to the collar.

"What on earth happened out there?" he asked them. "Are you alright?"

"Thanks for letting us in," said Sakura and turned her attention to Sai's arm.

The man looked at the blood and came over. "Don't worry, I'm a doctor. I can treat this. Come here and sit down."

Sai was pulled into a chair and the doctor set to work patching up his injured arm. Sakura stood by and watched. She usually used medical ninjutsu to treat a wound, but this man was not a ninja so he had to treat it the old-fashioned way. Sakura knew both methods, but found ninjutsu faster and it was easier to use on the field. It was interesting to see someone use the other method in front of her. It was also nice to sit back and watch for once, but it did make her feel a little useless since this was her skill.

"This looks like a stab wound," observed the doctor. He used a moist cloth to clean the wound.

"It was the noble family," said Sakura. "Threw a knife at him."

The doctor didn't seem surprised. He even laughed a little. "What did you do to piss them off?"

"We were supposed to deliver a package to them but when it got there, it was empty."

"Ohh," the doctor sighed. "Yeah, that'll do it. They have a very short fuse, that family. The most minor of things will set them off. You bringing them an empty box is not minor. It's insulting. You not only wasted their time, but they're probably wondering where it is."

"They thought we stole it."

"Did you?"

"Of course not!"

The doctor started to stitch up Sai's wound.

"I still don't understand how this could have happened," Sakura said. She was still beside herself with fear and confusion. This hadn't happened before. After all the effort she went through to keep it safe and the box turned up empty? How? She was so careful.

"What was in the box?" the doctor asked.

"We don't know. We never looked inside."

"Can you be certain that there was something in it in the first place?" he asked them. "If you never opened it…"

"That's true. But where could it be?" Sakura was still trying to figure it out.

"I still can't believe they attacked Sai like that. And Sakura!"

"Be thankful you got out of there in time," said the doctor. "Your friend here is lucky. The penalty for upsetting the noble family in such a way is death. If you stuck around any longer, they would have killed you."

Kakashi wasn't kidding when he said the family was dangerous.

"If they kill us, then how do they expect to get their object back?" asked Sakura. "The one they think we stole?"

"I never said they looked that far into the future," the doctor told them. "They are quick to act. Always have been. Having such a reputation has left many people walking on eggshells around them. The head of the family finds it a good thing. It means no one will mess with them and that they know their place. She is a tough woman."

"I noticed the husband didn't say much," said Naruto. "You barely noticed he was there."

"Oh, he wouldn't be speaking. He married into the family. The head of the family before them had only one child, a daughter. Any suitor who wished to marry her had to prove his worth. He had to be able to uphold the clan's honor and be able to defend and protect it. He managed to do that, but since he wasn't related by blood, male or not, he can never be the head of the family. That falls to his wife, Sukiyumi. She's the true leader. Consider the husband as a decorative sheath to her sword. While both go together, one is more powerful and suited for battle."

"The family's nuts," Naruto complained.

"You don't know the half of it." The doctor started to wrap a bandage around Sai's arm. "You should be fine. I think this was a warning shot. The cut itself wasn't very deep, considering."

Sai looked at the white bandage covering the stitches. "Thanks."

"Do we go home now?" Naruto asked.

"What about the package we were supposed to deliver?" asked Sai. "Our mission isn't over yet. We never did get it to them."

"I'm not going back there!"

"This is more complicated than you guys realize," said Sakura. "Sai's right. Our mission isn't over yet because we never did get the package to the noble family. It was empty. But since we don't know what was inside, we have no idea what to look for. It could be anything."

"The mom said it was a treasure of some kind. Maybe jewels?" suggested Naruto.

"I doubt that very much," said the doctor. "The noble family has no need for gold and jewels. They value weapons. They live for combat. Treasure to them wouldn't be jewels, it would be weapons."

"Maybe we should be looking for a sword or something?"

"The box wasn't that big. And the smaller box inside the one I was carrying was no bigger than a shoebox," said Sakura. "A sword would never fit in there."

"Then knives?" said Sai. "Knives would fit."

"They already had those."

"More knives?"

"It doesn't matter," said Sakura. "That box was with me the whole time and it was never opened. The head of the family had to tear it open, remember. It must have been empty before we left the village."

"So whatever we were supposed to deliver must be back there," said Naruto. "It must be back at the Leaf."

"Do you think we were given an empty box by mistake?" asked Sai.

"I don't know. But we're not going to find the thing here. Naruto's right. It must be back home."

Naruto leaned against a table. "So we came all this way for nothing. All we did was piss off a bunch of nobles with an attitude problem."

"It might be worse than that," said the doctor. "If they think the Leaf is responsible in any way, they might try to attack you in retaliation. Even if you didn't do anything, you represent the Leaf. Sukiyumi believes in things acting as a whole."

"What's that mean?" asked Naruto.

"If one person does something, then everyone is held accountable," he explained. "If only one ninja from your village made a mistake, she is going to hold every man, woman and child responsible as well, even if they had nothing to do with it."

"That's not fair!"

"She holds her family to the same standards. She will not tolerate weakness. She believes the family is only as strong as its weakest member. That's why she pushes them all so hard. It doesn't matter if one of her children doesn't want to become a warrior. They have no choice in the matter. They have to. So don't think she's playing favorites. No one is an exception to this rule, not even her own kin."

"Are you saying we have to be worried about her going after the Leaf Village?" asked Sai.

The doctor shrugged. "I don't know. You best pray they don't know where you are." He started to stand. "In any case, the three of you should return home as soon as possible. Let your leader know what happened and try to solve this issue before it gets any worse."

Maybe the real box was misplaced. Maybe the Hokage knew where it was. Maybe they could sort this all out and give the real box to the noble family with their apologies. There was no need for a fight. Maybe once things were explained to the noble family, they would understand and not feel the need to retaliate.

After what happened at the household, all three of them had their doubts.

There wasn't much else they could do.

"I guess we go home and explain the situation to the Hokage," said Sakura. "If we go back to the noble family empty-handed, they'll just attack us again. Even if we go there to explain ourselves."

"They weren't in a listening mood the first time," pointed out Sai.

"And we don't have much of an explanation. We have to go home." Sakura turned to the doctor. "Thank you, Doctor."

"Akihiro," he told her. "You may call me Akihiro."

"Well, thanks for helping our friend."

"No problem. That's what I do. Good luck with your thing. I hope the noble family isn't too angry. Then again, they are ruthless. That's how they've managed to stay in power for so long. No one else will dare to challenge them. Not that there's anyone strong enough or crazy enough anyway."

Naruto wanted to declare out loud that he was strong enough, but kept his mouth shut. It would just make things worse and they had enough problems to deal with.

* * *

Naruto's problems have just begun. Read to find out.

Please review! ^-^


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

The group returned to the Leaf and explained the situation to the Hokage. She had no idea what could have happened to the package since even she hadn't opened it. It arrived sealed and had explicit instructions not to look inside so she didn't and neither did anyone else. No one knew what the box was supposed to contain but it must have arrived empty to begin with. The mistake was not theirs.

Nevertheless, Lady Tsunade said she would investigate further and see what she could do. As of now, this was not considered a failed mission since the box never contained the object they were supposed to deliver. It was the mistake of someone else, most likely outside the Leaf. They did not know who to blame yet, but further investigation should yield a few answers.

After their meeting with the Hokage, the group started to disperse. That is, until Naruto had an idea. He suggested they gather up the rest of their friends and celebrate another successful mission. At least, successful in the sense that no one was killed and the empty box was not their fault.

"This mission was so minor, though," said Sakura. "We can't celebrate after every mission."

"But Sai got hurt in that mission and has made a full recovery."

"The injury wasn't that bad."

"Come on, please? It'll be fun. You want to get some food, right, Sai?"

Sai turned his head. He opened his mouth to respond but a yawn came out instead. "Actually, I think I'll go home and take a nap. I'm feeling kind of tired."

"It'll take some time to get everyone together. How about we meet up later for food?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I think I'll be hungry by then."

"Great. See you in a couple of hours."

Meanwhile, Naruto arranged for everyone to meet up for barbeque. Choji went ahead to reserve a table for everyone. Naruto was so glad everything was going smoothly. Even Sakura decided to show up, despite her earlier complaints.

"Where's Kiba, Shino and Hinata?" Naruto asked, looking around.

"They're still on a mission," said Tenten.

"Oh, well. I guess it's just us, then." Naruto was a little disappointed not everyone could show up, but the table was packed as it was so he let it slide.

"I'm here," said Sai, walking up behind Naruto.

"Oh, hey. Just in time. Sit, sit!"

Sai took a seat in the corner across from Choji. Ino welcomed Sai and started to ask how he was doing. He didn't talk much, but he did answer her questions and smile at her.

The raw meat came and Choji was the first to start grilling. He practically dumped the entire plate onto the hot grill while everyone else talked. He inhaled the smoky aroma and wiped the drool from his chin.

Rather than take part in the conversation, Sai kept his attention on the meat. Now that he was in front of it, he realized how hungry he was. He could hardly wait for it to finish cooking. He wanted to eat now.

Soon, everyone started taking the cooked meat off the grill and put it on their small plates. Sai waited until everyone's chopsticks were out of the way and took a strip of beef off the grill. He barely waited for it to cool before putting it in his mouth.

It was the best piece of beef he had ever tasted. So tender and juicy.

While everyone else talked, he focused all his attention on the grill.

"This noble family was pretty cool." Naruto told everyone about their mission, sparing no detail. "They were all trained from a young age to be amazing fighters. You might like them, Neji. I can see you guys having plenty to talk about."

Neji didn't respond. He just ate his rice.

"Those people were no joke," added Sakura. "I mean, one of them just attacked Sai for no real reason."

"Just out of the blue?" asked Tenten.

"Yeah. Threw a knife at him. He's fine, but that was a surprise."

"Jeez."

"Did you fight back?"

"No," said Sakura. "We couldn't."

"Why not?"

"Because they were not the enemy," Neji answered for her. "Consider them an employer. They couldn't attack them. Besides, it would have made things worse, considering the family's principles. If they struck back, the family would have declared them the enemy. As long as Naruto and the others weren't perceived as threats, the family had no reason to engage further and turn it into an all-out brawl."

"Yeah, you're right. I guess it would be best to play dead in that sense. Or run so they can see that you don't want to fight. Might make reasoning with them a little easier."

Neji put his chopsticks on the grill, expecting to pick up the meat he had been cooking. Instead, his chopsticks touched the metal wires where the meat had been. Now it was gone. Neji looked at Choji, certain he was the one who took the meat and ate it.

His suspicions were incorrect, however. It was actually Sai who took the meat and ate it. In fact, he had been taking as much meat as he could get, stealing his friends' portions as well. He couldn't get enough.

"They had a zoo there," said Sakura. "It was nice. They had all sorts of animals. They even had an elephant."

"How exotic."

"Ooh! I would have loved to see that."

"Just the one?"

"There might have been two. I didn't get a good look. I had to keep an eye on Naruto. He was picking a fight with a monkey."

"Liar!" Naruto spun around. "I did not!"

"You were yelling at the thing and trying to get in its cage."

"It pick-pocketed me!"

"Why were you standing so close to the bars?"

"Hm, so Naruto got outwitted by a monkey, huh?" Neji said with a smirk.

"It didn't outwit me!"

"Sure sounds like it."

"It didn't!"

Sakura giggled and moved to get her cooked meat. It wasn't there. "Where..?" Sakura looked around and spotted an unusual sight.

Everyone fell silent, noticing it, too.

Choji and Sai were taking turns putting meat on the grill and then eating it. Choji doing this was not uncommon, but Sai was eating just as much as he was which was very unusual. No one had ever seen Sai eat so much, or be able to keep up with Choji. Sai's chopsticks were moving as quickly as the brush he used to draw during battle.

His pace matched Choji's. Choji barely noticed. All his attention was on the grilled meat. He only noticed when Sai took one of his cuts of meat and ate it himself.

"Hey!" he snapped. "I cooked that!"

Sai ignored him and quickly put another piece on the grill. Still pink, Sai flipped it over to cook the other side and just as quickly took it off the grill.

"That's pretty rare, Sai," Sakura told him. "Maybe a few more seconds…"

"I'm hungry," he said, hovering it in front of his mouth.

"You have a whole bowl of rice right in front of you."

"You can have it. I don't want it." Sai just wanted to eat meat.

He put another piece of meat on the grill and looked around for other things to cook. Between the two of them, they had eaten all the meat. This wouldn't do. Sai was still hungry. They would have to order more food. Lots more.

Sai went to fetch the meat off the grill only to find Choji reaching for it himself. "That's mine," he told him with a glare.

"You ate the one I cooked so it's only fair I eat one of yours. Now we're even."

Sai grabbed the same piece with his chopsticks. Choji tugged and Sai tugged back.

"Guys…"

They ignored their friends. Nothing would tear them away from this meat.

They both glared at each other.

Everyone knew no one could beat Choji in this kind of battle. Sai was going to lose and lose bad. Choji would never give up the last piece of grilled meat and would take a bite out of anyone who tried. Poor docile Sai had no chance.

"Let go of the meat," Choji warned him.

Sai pulled the meat towards him. "It's mine."

Choji pulled back. "It's mine."

"It's mine."

Choji leaned forward and pulled the meat closer to himself. "No way."

Just when everyone thought the fight was won by the reigning champion, Sai did something no one expected.

Sai got out of his seat, put one knee on the table, leaned in Choji's face and bellowed, "Mine!"

The entire restaurant fell silent.

Choji no longer looked determined, but frightened. Sai locked eyes with him and did not look away. His lips parted, showing his teeth. He huffed and snarled like a hungry beast. He looked ferocious. The look in his eyes alone made Choji freeze, but it was the sound Sai made that caused him to relinquish the last piece of meat. Not by choice, but by fear. His body would not move after what he had just witnessed.

Sai pulled the meat away, took it off the chopsticks with his other hand and shoved it in his mouth, chewing noisily. Knowing he had won the prize made it taste that much better. He swallowed and sat down in his seat feeling proud of himself.

The pride faded when he caught sight of everyone staring at him.

"What?"

They didn't answer right away, still in a state of shock.

Sai looked around to see if there was anything beside him. When he saw nothing amiss, he looked back at them and asked again, "What?"

"Uh…"

"What?"

"It's just…" Sakura said slowly. "I've never seen you act like that before."

"Act like what?"

"You yelling like that. And over the last piece of meat."

"I yelled?" Sai looked puzzled. "Really?"

"Really."

"Oh. Sorry. I didn't mean to." Sai scratched his head. "I don't remember doing that. Sorry if I did."

Naruto shivered. "That was scary."

Sai cocked his head. "Was I really that scary? I didn't even realize I was yelling. What did I say?"

"You just yelled the word 'mine' and took the last piece of meat."

"I yelled that?" Sai paused, trying to remember. "Hm. Now that you mention it, I think I do remember yelling something like that. I don't remember yelling it. I just remember saying it."

"Well, you said it pretty loud."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."

It seemed like Sai was back to his usual self. Sai was never very loud. Even in battle. Naruto could be heard from a mile away and Sakura was pretty loud when she charged into battle. Sai, not so much. He was pretty quiet. Seeing him suddenly yell like that was a bit terrifying.

The rest of the meal passed awkwardly and most of the group wanted to call it an early night. Only a few people decided to stay. The ones who stayed joined Naruto for a walk. It seemed no one wanted to stay in the restaurant after the outburst.

"You had to ruin a perfectly good meal, didn't you?" Naruto hissed to the person on his left.

"I ruined it?" Sai asked with a confused and hurt expression on his face.

"If you hadn't yelled, you wouldn't have scared off Lee's group. They bolted out of there."

"I'm sorry." Sai wanted to make amends. He didn't like seeing Naruto so upset. How could he make it better?

"It wasn't a big deal," said Shikamaru. "A little awkward but not a big deal."

"Tell that to Choji who had to take a minute, he was shaking so bad."

"He wasn't shaking."

"He gave up the last piece of meat. What does that say?"

Even Shikamaru had to admit Choji must have been pretty shaken to do such a thing.

Ino left soon after Choji did so now it was down to just Naruto, Sakura, Sai and Shikamaru. Shikamaru said he would stay for a little bit but not long and it had nothing to do with what happened.

Sai tried to think of how he could make things up to Naruto. There must have been a way to cheer him up. He had been using books less and less now which was pretty impressive. He didn't need a crutch anymore. At least, not as often as he did. Socializing and making friends was getting easier for him. What happened at the restaurant was a bit of a setback. He wasn't sure what to do now and wanted to consult one of his books for answers.

If he remembered correctly, there was a passage in one of his books that said he should present a gift to a friend he had wronged to show how sorry he was. Receiving a gift also helped improve one's mood. Who didn't like getting gifts?

It seemed like a good start. But what to get him? If he ruined Naruto's dinner, then perhaps food was a good way to go. He would buy Naruto something to eat. That sounded like a good idea.

Sai looked around at the many shops they passed by. There were plenty of options. He could buy him something sweet, like a crepe or a small cake. Naruto liked ramen so ramen might have been the best way to go. If Naruto wanted to walk with his friends for a while, perhaps something a bit more portable. Like a kabob.

Sai spotted something promising and stepped away to make a purchase.

"What do you want to do? Go for a walk in the park?"

Naruto shrugged. "I wanted everybody together. If Sai hadn't freaked everyone out…"

"The past is the past," said Shikamaru. "Quit dwelling on it."

"That was a bit strange, though," said Sakura. "I wonder why he did that. It was weird."

"Who cares? Sai is weird," said Naruto.

"I've never seen him act like that before. Maybe we should be more concerned."

"It's probably nothing," said Shikamaru.

"Naruto." Sai came rushing back and thrust something out to him. "I got you something."

Naruto looked at the skewered chicken Sai presented to him.

"Yakitori," he said. "I got it for you. A gift. To say I'm sorry about back there."

Naruto was annoyed by the offer but appreciated the gesture. Sai was really putting forth an effort. He wanted to make things up to him, so slapping away the gift would have been not only rude but mean. Naruto wanted to show Sai that his efforts were appreciated.

"Thanks, Sai." Naruto smiled and started to take the skewer from him.

Then Sai took a big bite out of the chicken.

"Wha..?"

Sai ate the entire thing in a few bites and chewed on the wooden skewer.

"What the hell did you do that for?" Naruto snapped.

Sai looked at him, the skewer between his teeth. "Do what?"

"You get me a present and then you eat it in front of me? What the hell?"

"Huh?" Sai spat out the skewer and realized what he had done. "I… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I don't know why I did that."

"It wasn't enough for you to eat everyone's food at dinner, now you go and eat something in front of me after telling me it was a gift? What kind of stupid jerk does that? I can't believe you!" Still upset about the current situation dealing with the restaurant, Naruto was just beginning to calm down when Sai decided to make him feel worse. It was as if Sai did this just to tease him. Dangle hope in front of his face and yank it away when he reached for it. Now Naruto was fuming. "You stupid jerk!"

Sai recoiled. Not just at Naruto's remark but how he looked when he said it and how he said it.

Naruto was really upset with him. He was used to getting similar reactions from him when he acted without reading the situation properly, but this was different. A different anger. Naruto wasn't annoyed at him for making a mistake or saying the wrong thing without thinking. He was angry at him because Sai had apparently done something deliberately to make him upset.

All Sai ended up doing was rub salt in the wound.

"I'm sorry."

"Gah! Forget it!" Naruto stormed off without another word.

Shikamaru and Sakura watched him leave then turned back to Sai who was beside himself, looking at the bare skewer.

"I didn't mean to…" Sai said quietly.

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5:**

The next day, everyone had calmed down. Even Naruto was in a better mood. However, Sai had yet to show up for training. Sakura blamed Naruto, telling him he had been too hard on Sai last night. Feeling guilty, Naruto offered to go to Sai's place to apologize.

Naruto knocked on the door but there was no answer. He went around and climbed up to Sai's window. He peered inside and found him sleeping in bed.

This whole time he thought Sai was upset about last night but he was actually just sleeping in. Naruto felt less guilty now.

"Sai," he called through the window.

Sai sat up and looked at him, still heavy-eyed.

"Training. You're late."

Sai blinked and started to lie back down. Naruto called to him again and Sai lifted his head.

"Come on. Let's go."

Sai yawned and sat up. He arched his back, stretching. Naruto only left when he saw Sai get out of bed.

It was several more minutes until Sai chose to show up on the training field. Sai staggered over to his teammates and ruffled his hair. He looked like he was still half-asleep.

"Did you get any sleep last night?" asked Sakura.

"Sort of. I'm still sleepy, though."

"Well, up and at 'em. We've got stuff to do."

"Ok," he yawned.

Their training began, but Sai barely participated. After only five minutes, Sai went over to a tree and curled up in the shade. He fell asleep rather quickly. The others continued their drills while he slept.

After an hour of basking in the shade of a tree, Sai's teammates were extremely annoyed at his laziness. Yamato showed up to help with the training and they asked if he could help convince Sai to participate.

Yamato shook Sai awake and told him to join the rest of the team.

Sai stretched and got up. "I'm hungry," he announced.

"After we finish here, you can eat something."

"Yeah," said Naruto. "We can all take a break and get some ramen."

"Are you always thinking about ramen?" Sakura put her hands on her hips.

Sai stood with the rest of his team as Yamato gave them their objective. He was going to hide in the woods and they had to find him. Yamato was given a ten second head start and the group went in after him.

All this running was just making Sai even hungrier. He wanted to take a break and eat now. Hopefully this drill wouldn't take too long.

Naruto looked to his right and saw Sakura. He looked to his left and saw Sai. They were running in a triangle formation with him at the lead. From here they would spread out and have someone go into the trees to get a better view. They had done this formation countless times. It was so common that they were able to do it without speaking to each other. They knew what to do without being told.

Just a few more steps and one of them would spring. From there, the two on the ground would remain there then one of them would also spring into the air, leaving only one on the ground.

Naruto waited. Usually Sai went first, followed by Sakura, but sometimes they would switch and Naruto would follow him into the trees.

Sai sprang, but not into the trees.

He collided with Naruto, tackling him to the ground. Tackled out of a run, the two tumbled. Sai used his full weight to press Naruto into the ground as he crouched on top of him.

"Sai, what are you doing?"

Sai responded by showing his teeth and going for Naruto's throat.

Stricken, Naruto put up both hands to defend himself. He pushed against Sai's shoulders but he continued to come. He snapped at Naruto, snarling like a beast.

"Sai! Stop! Stop!"

Sakura rushed over and saw what was happening. She tried to pull Sai off but he wouldn't budge. "Stop it, Sai!"

He leaned forward, his teeth dangerously close to Naruto's flesh.

Sakura shoved Sai off Naruto. Sai got up and bared his teeth at her.

"What the hell are you doing?" she asked.

Sai growled at her and flexed his fingers. He went for her next. He swung his arms wide, trying to scratch her. Naruto tried to break up the fight.

Yamato showed up and immediately asked what was going on.

"Sai just-"

Before Naruto could finish explaining, Sai clamped down on Naruto's arm with his teeth. Naruto screamed in pain. Sai grabbed Naruto's arm with both hands and tried to rip off a chunk of his flesh.

"Sai, no!"

"Stop it!"

Yamato and Sakura shouted and tried to help, but Naruto managed to pry Sai loose and shoved him away. Sai landed in the grass and stood up with a snarl. Sakura and Yamato rushed to protect Naruto.

Sai's growls faded and his lips fell over his teeth. He caught sight of Naruto's bleeding arm and covered his mouth with both hands, looking aghast.

He backed away, his eyes wide.

"I… I'm sorry…" he said timidly. "I… didn't mean it…"

* * *

Something's up with Sai, no doubt.

Short chapter, sorry.

Please review! ^-^


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6:**

While Naruto got patched up by Sakura in the hospital, Lady Tsunade dealt with Sai. Convinced there was something wrong with him, they asked the Hokage to take a look.

She entered the room and found Sai sitting on one of the beds looking ashamed. Naruto sat in the opposite bed, glaring at him.

"I didn't mean to bite him," Sai said quietly.

"Then why did you?" Naruto barked.

"I don't know. I saw you running and got the urge to do it, I guess."

"You guess?"

"I don't know what I was thinking."

"Can you help him, M'lady?" Sakura asked.

"I can take a look at him." Tsunade asked Sai numerous questions and checked him over. He wasn't running a fever and he had no visible injuries other than the one she was already aware of. Nothing she found would have caused him to behave in such a way.

Unable to find anything wrong with him, Tsunade left the room to speak with Yamato in the hallway.

Sai knew this wasn't a good sign.

"You really don't know why you bit him?" Sakura asked.

Sai shook his head.

Naruto looked at the teeth marks on his arm. "It's like you tried to take a bite out of me. These things are deep."

Sakura slapped the back of his head.

"What? They are!"

When Sakura didn't respond, Naruto looked at the adjacent bed and saw the look on Sai's face. Sai felt awful about what he did. Naruto calling attention to it wasn't making him feel any better. Naruto put aside his complaints. He didn't want to make Sai feel any worse.

If Sai didn't care, of course he would have complained more, but seeing as Sai did feel terrible about what happened, Naruto kept his mouth shut.

"I'm so sorry, Naruto. I wish I knew why I did that, but I don't."

"It's ok, Sai. I know you didn't mean it."

Naruto was perplexed. He knew Sai didn't mean it, but while he was doing it, his intentions were clear. Sai did want to hurt him. At the same time, he didn't. What did this mean? What was going on?

A nurse came in and brought them both a tray of food.

Naruto was going to leave soon so being given a meal was a bit odd. Sakura and Sai were both concerned about being given food. If Sai was given a meal, did this mean he wasn't going to leave?

His worry soon went away when he saw the food in front of him. He sniffed it and licked his lips.

Sai said he was hungry just before taking a bite out of Naruto. Maybe he wouldn't have done it if he had been operating on a full stomach. Once Sai got some food in him, he should be a lot better.

Sai knocked the container of meat onto the tray and ate it from there. He sniffed around the tray for more but that was all the meat he was given. He turned his head and spotted Naruto's tray. He got off the bed and went over to it. He grabbed a fistful of meat and ate it. Ignoring the rest of the food, he focused all his attention on the meat. Once it was all gone, Sai stepped back and licked his hand clean.

"What?" he asked, noticing the looks.

The door opened and Tsunade looked at the food trays. She looked at Naruto. "Did you eat anything?" she asked.

"No."

She had the nurse bring in the food as a test.

She looked at the missing meat from his tray. "So Sai ate both portions of meat. I see."

Sai wasn't interested in the conversation and laid down on the bed, preparing to go to sleep.

"Sai, are you tired a lot?"

Sai lifted his head. "I don't know. Not really, I guess."

"You slept most of the morning," Naruto pointed out.

"I did? Oh. I guess so, then." He put his head down and closed his eyes.

Sakura gave the Hokage a concerned look. "What does this mean, Lady Tsunade?"

She did not answer. She just stood and shook her head.

"Granny, is Sai ok?" Naruto asked.

"Physically, yes. But…" Tsunade didn't finish her statement. "He'll be fine. I'm sure of it. Just give it time."

* * *

Sai was released from the hospital after his nap and left with the rest of his team. Tsunade had told Sakura to keep a close watch on him and take action if he became violent again. To make sure it didn't happen again, she was given instructions to keep Sai well fed.

The first thing they did after leaving the hospital was get Sai some food. He had a strong craving for meat and would eat nothing else. Whatever he wanted, they brought it to him.

Sai no longer used his chopsticks, favoring his hands instead. When he didn't use his hands, he stuck his face directly in the food like a dog. When he finally got his fill, he sprawled out in the shade and rested.

They went to the park after Sai's short rest. On the way there, Sai spotted a discarded cardboard box and jumped inside it. He crouched inside and kept still, watching people walk by. When asked why he did that, he said he felt like it and didn't understand why.

When they finally reached the park, the first thing Sai did was run up to a tree and dig his fingernails into the bark. From there, he climbed up and sat on one of the branches. He remained there for a while, lazing about.

"Sai?" Naruto called up to him.

Sai looked down.

"Do you realize you're doing this stuff?"

"Doing what?"

"What you're doing now?"

Sai didn't answer him.

"Sai?"

Sai jumped down and sniffed Naruto's chest. Losing interest quickly, Sai rubbed himself against the tree and started to sit down.

"Sai."

He looked up. "Did you say something?"

Naruto frowned. "Are you..?" Naruto crouched down. "Are you having blackouts?"

Sai looked away. "I don't know. I feel sleepy a lot. When you're sleepy, you don't always notice things. Like if you end up falling asleep or when. Since I already feel that way, it's hard."

"What is?"

"When I do the things I do, I don't always realize it. It's like I do it while I'm in that sleepy state. I don't notice."

"So are you saying you're doing this because you're doing it while you're half-asleep, or are you saying you can't tell the difference because it feels like both?" Naruto was trying to understand what Sai meant.

"More the second one. When I do the things I do, I don't take notice of it. Like how you don't always notice things when you're sleepy. You're not as alert."

Naruto tried to understand what Sai was saying but he wasn't sure he was getting it. "So you don't… You never make the decision to do it? It just happens?"

Sai shrugged. "I'm not sure how to explain it. But…" Sai frowned. "I can feel myself slipping away. A little more each time."

"What do you mean?"

"Like when I bit you. To me, it makes no sense and I don't know why I did it. But there's another part of me that knows exactly why I did it and it makes perfect sense. That part of me is getting stronger and that's the part that's deciding to do these things I don't understand." Sai scratched the side of his neck. "The part of me that's talking to you now is fading away. I can feel it happening. I'm not as alert as I was before. I don't know what's happening or why."

The side of Sai that decided to bite Naruto was becoming more dominate, but no one knew what side this was or why it was taking over.

If this was the case, then the Sai they knew was slowly disappearing. Soon he would be gone completely.

Sai could feel himself slipping away. It was getting harder and harder to be aware of his actions. He acted without thinking and when questioned, he could offer no answer. He didn't even feel like drawing anymore. He just wanted to eat and sleep and he didn't understand why.

It was a bizarre feeling. He couldn't explain or describe it well.

"You still know who you are, right?" Naruto asked him gently.

Sai nodded. "Yes."

For now, at least.

So much of himself was growing dimmer. He wasn't aware of most of his actions and he could feel himself slipping in and out of consciousness. It was only a matter of time before he fell completely asleep.

When that happened…

"It's ok, Sai," Naruto told him. "Granny will fix you up. You're probably just sick, that's all. She'll heal you and you'll be as good as new. You'll see."

Sai gave a weak smile. This reality was growing dimmer. He felt so distant.

"In any case, I'll look after you. Ok, Sai?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

He started to slump.

"You ok?"

"Just a bit tired."

Falling asleep and losing his grip on reality felt no different. If he fell asleep, it was possible that he would end up losing himself. He couldn't tell the difference. Both made him feel unaware when it happened and confused when he regained his senses.

The other part of him was getting steadily stronger as time went on. Even worse, it seemed to take a drastic leap each time he fell asleep. It was almost as if a part of him remained asleep, and each time he slept, another part of him would get locked away. This made the other, more violent part more dominate because there was less and less of the real Sai to fight back.

This is how it seemed but even Sai who was experiencing this strange phenomenon could not say for certain whether or not this was true. So far, it was just a feeling he had.

He didn't want to fall asleep completely. He didn't want to lose himself.

He didn't want to hurt his friends.

Naruto saw Sai's eyes grow heavy and stepped away. "I'll see you when you wake up," he whispered. He stood watch over Sai for a minute and left when Sai's body slumped onto the grass.

* * *

What will happen to Sai now?

Please review! ^-^


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7:**

Naruto walked back to the tree Sai was sleeping under to check on him. Sai was awake, laying on his side with his elbow propping him up. Naruto was happy to see him and walked over.

"Hey, Sai. Feeling better?"

Sai did not answer, but stared.

"Are you doing any better?"

Sai started to growl.

"Sai?"

Sai lifted himself up, showing his teeth.

"Sai, it's me. It's me." Naruto backed away slowly. "What's the matter? Don't you recognize me?"

He got his answer when Sai roared and charged at him, mouth agape. Naruto turned and ran, but Sai was just as fast.

"Sai! It's me! Stop!"

Sai picked up speed and took a flying leap towards him. He planted both hands on Naruto's spine and forced him forward with his weight. Naruto fell onto his chest and Sai pressed his knees on Naruto's hips. He moved his head closer to Naruto's neck, looking to bite him.

Something hit Sai from the side and threw him off. Sai stood up but before he could attack, he found himself imprisoned in a wooden cage. He raged and roared, reaching through the bars with both arms.

Naruto was pulled to his feet by Sakura. Yamato stood nearby. Naruto watched Sai throw himself against the cage and roar. There was no escape for him.

"Sakura, Captain Yamato, he…"

"We know," Yamato said solemnly. He didn't say anything after that. Sakura said nothing at all. She just gave Sai a sad look and bit her lip.

* * *

"There's nothing I can do for him," Tsunade said when Naruto came to get answers. "Whatever he has is mental, not physical. I can't treat him."

"What do you mean you can't? He's sick, isn't he?"

"I can only treat people who have physical injuries. Sai isn't suffering from that. I can't treat him."

"Do you at least know what he has?"

"My best guess is some form of psychosis." She looked at Sai pacing around in his new metal cage. "He thinks he's something inhuman. He believes it. Sai no longer thinks he's human, Naruto. He's too dangerous to roam free. Believe it or not, keeping him in a cage is the best thing we can do for him now. This way he can't hurt anyone and we can keep an eye on him."

Naruto didn't like seeing Sai in a cage but Tsunade made a good point. "But if you know what he has, why can't you treat it?"

"I just told you why. I'm not that kind of doctor. I can't treat him for a metal disorder."

"Do you know how he got it?" Sakura asked. "He was fine before."

Tsunade sighed. "Some sort of metal break, but I don't see that happening to Sai. At least, not so easily. He was trained in ANBU. He's faced a lot during his training and he's extremely capable. For him to have a sudden mental break like this is outrageous. Especially after such an easy mission."

"Mission?"

"He didn't start behaving this way until after he got back from the latest mission."

"You're right," said Sakura. "He was ok up until then."

Naruto looked away from the cage to face the Hokage. "Are you saying Sai got this condition from the place we just came from?"

"It's not an illness, Naruto," said Tsunade. "However, him being in this state could be the result of whatever he experienced on that mission. Normally, people who suffer from this mental illness got it after receiving some sort of trauma. I doubt something like that happened to Sai on that mission. You two were with him. Did he act strangely at any given moment? Maybe something else triggered it."

"Like what?"

"What I'm thinking is usually the result of witnessing something that makes you recall a certain event in the past that had an effect. Like nearly drowning and coming upon a river makes you have flashbacks to that event in your life. Perhaps Sai saw something that caused him to remember a traumatic event from his past which then triggered this state."

Sakura shook her head. "Nothing like that happened."

"It could be the most minor thing. It doesn't have to be frightening. Just something that reminds him of a traumatic event."

Again, she shook her head. "Sai acted perfectly normal. He only started acting strange when we got back here."

"Are you sure you can't fix him?" Naruto asked.

"I can't treat this. I don't have the skills."

"Are there any meds you can give him or something?"

"I already said there is nothing I can do." Tsunade looked past Naruto and into the cage where Sai paced. "I'm afraid there's nothing I can do for him. Keeping him caged is the best I can do for now. But I will try to find someone who specializes in treating people with this mental illness. I don't have the skills but there must be someone else who does."

This wasn't the answer Naruto was hoping for but it was something. He wanted Tsunade to treat him, but she simply didn't have the skills. Without knowing how to go about it, she could end up making Sai worse. All Naruto could do was wait for her to find an expert who could treat him.

Waiting was something Naruto had a hard time doing. It was the worst part of anything he had to go through. It was boring and tedious. He hated waiting for his food to cook, he hated waiting for someone to arrive and he hated waiting for treatment, especially if he was waiting for someone else to be treated.

Naruto looked back at the cage holding his friend. Sai kept pacing.

"Sai…" He approached the cage and spoke through the iron bars. "Sai?"

Sai stopped pacing and looked up, giving Naruto a sense of relief.

Then Sai lunged at him, reaching through the bars with his arm, trying to scratch him. Sai snarled and bared his teeth. Naruto fell backwards in surprise.

When Sai looked at him before, he thought he saw a trace of reason, but that fleeting hint was now gone from his face. Sai looked like a monster. Nothing would get through to him.

Sai lowered his arm and gave Naruto a warning look, as if daring him to come closer. When he didn't, Sai started pacing again.

Naruto hung his head and whispered his name. This time, Sai did not respond at all.

What happened to him? How could he suffer a mental break like this?

He refused to give up. Sai might have been acting different now, but he could always come back. There must have been a way to get through to him.

* * *

Caging Sai was the only reasonable solution at this point. Everyone who saw him said he was too dangerous to get near; but that did not detour Naruto.

He returned to the same cage and tried once again to get through to his friend.

"Hey, Sai."

The one pacing in the cage did not look up.

"I brought you something." Naruto held up a blank piece of paper and a pen. "See? I brought you things to draw with. You like that, right? Stupid question. Of course, you do."

Sai stopped pacing and looked at him.

Naruto pushed the paper between the bars and rolled the pen into the cage. Sai bent down and sniffed the pen. He pushed it across the floor with his fingers and stepped on the paper. Then Sai slapped the pen out of his cage and tried to eat the paper. Not liking the taste, he spat it out and pushed it away.

A little more of Naruto's hope crumbled away. "Come on, Sai. Don't you want to draw anymore?"

Sai laid down in his cage and stared at him. He stayed on the far end of the cage, keeping Naruto at a distance.

"Sai…"

Someone stepped behind Naruto and put a hand on his shoulder. "I don't think we can get through to him," said Sakura. "Lady Tsunade and I have already tried."

"I'm not giving up. I know Sai's still in there. There has to be a way for us to get him back to normal."

"It's a mental illness, Naruto. Lady Tsunade already tried treating him for possible jutsu effects but he's not under a jutsu. And he's not injured. So the only thing left is a mental illness which she doesn't know how to treat. She's not that kind of doctor. She's trying to find someone who is, but…"

Sai lowered his head and closed his eyes, taking a nap.

There must have been a way to return him to normal.

"You're sure it's not a jutsu?"

"We tried to reverse it if it was but nothing happened. She said it's not a jutsu. She was very clear about that. No bumps on the head. Nothing like that. She ruled everything out. This is her best guess."

"And you're sure he's not just sick?"

"There's nothing in any medical book we've come across. Not for what you're thinking."

Naruto bowed his head. They kept telling him what it wasn't but he couldn't accept that. They must have been missing something. It couldn't be what they thought. His gut told him they were mistaken.

"Come on. Let's go."

Naruto followed Sakura upstairs, looking over his shoulder to keep Sai in view as long as possible.

When they reached the top of the stairs, they saw a bunch of ninja run by.

"What's going on?"

"I don't know."

Naruto and Sakura followed them. More ninja were showing up. Some were running outside and some were running up to the Hokage's office. Sakura and Naruto started to leave the building and go outside, following the majority.

"What's going on?" Sakura asked but no one would answer her.

Naruto tried to run ahead of the group, but they ended up going a different way. He had to stay behind in order to follow.

"What's going on?" Sakura asked again, louder.

"It's an attack. Someone's here for Naruto," a ninja answered.

"For me?" First one problem, now another. "Who would be after me?"

A group of ninja were tossed through the air and into the street. Another ninja was thrown, revealing the assailants.

The three children of the Arashi clan.

"What are they doing here?" Naruto asked.

"They must have come here to retaliate just like the doctor told us," said Sakura.

"You've got to be kidding…"

One of the ninja they had been following tried to attack one of the boys but was easily overpower and thrown to the ground.

"Give us the boy with the beast!" he yelled. "We are not leaving here without him."

Naruto's jaw dropped. "They want me?" How did they find out he had the fox inside him?

"Protect Naruto," a ninja told Sakura. "Get him off the street."

"Right." Sakura tried to grab him but Naruto would not budge.

He pulled his arm free. "I can help fight."

"Don't be stupid. If you're the one they're after, why on earth would you go to the frontlines? Get to safety. Don't let them know you're here."

"He's right, Naruto. Let's go!" Sakura pulled Naruto away.

He resisted but eventually came. Sakura pulled him inside the Hokage's building and up to her office. They opened the door and it was quickly slammed shut behind them by several ninja. A dozen were gathered in Tsunade's office, all of whom ready to fight.

"Why are they after me?" Naruto asked again.

"The Arashi clan values power, Naruto," Tsunade answered. "Since they felt cheated out of whatever was supposed to be delivered in that box, they must be after you as a replacement."

"A replacement?"

"That's my best guess. I have no idea how they found out, but they're here now." Tsunade looked out the window behind her desk, watching ninja fly through the air. "What you hold is powerful and therefore valuable. The Arashi clan must want it for themselves. I won't let that happen. We'll keep you safe."

Naruto watched ninja get knocked aside by the three siblings. He was glad people wanted to protect him, but at what cost? The Arashi clan would kill anyone who got in their way. He could only hope the ninja being thrown to the ground were still alive.

* * *

One thing after another.

Please review! ^-^


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8:**

"Over there!"

The siblings landed in the street and found themselves surrounded by ninja. They showed no fear, Sayo was even smiling.

"Where is the one carrying the beast?" asked one of the boys.

The ninja did not answer. Instead, they attacked with their jutsu.

"Have it your way." The siblings spread apart and started to strike every ninja in their path.

Sayo used her spear as a ground, dodging a ninja who tried to trap her in some sort of syrup. She flipped through the air and landed on his shoulder. She whacked him in the face with her spear and jumped onto the shoulders of another ninja. She hopped from one to the next, using their bodies as stepping stones. She was so quick and agile, the ninja had no time to react.

One of her brothers was equally as quick and kept standing in front of one ninja, preventing his comrades from attacking without hitting him as well. Some ninja took the chance and the brother dodged, letting the ninja get attacked in his place.

The third brother wove through the crowd, jabbing them with a small weapon as he ran by. It was a single strike, but enough to bring the ninja to their knees. Wasting no time, he jumped onto a roof and kept running. More ninja came his way and tried attacking from a distance. He moved closer, keeping it a short-range battle. One ninja managed to keep his distance from the brother and launched a jutsu. The brother tossed his weapon which stopped the jutsu and the ninja. The ninja fell off the roof and landed in a pile of trash behind a building.

The three siblings met up and ran in a triangle formation toward the largest building in the village, certain that was where the leader could be found.

"Stop!" a ninja yelled and was quickly put down.

They continued running and crashed through one of the windows on the lower level of the Hokage building.

"They're inside, Lady Tsunade," announced one of the ninja in her office.

Naruto fussed loudly, begging to join the fight. Sakura held him down. He had to stay out of sight.

Something moved in front of the window. A body.

Tsunade stepped back as a ninja was thrown through the glass and rolled across the floor. The three siblings landed on the windowsill in front of her. The ninja they had grabbed from the lower floor was used to break the glass so they would not get hurt. That was the only reason they grabbed him.

"Give us the boy with the beast inside," said one of the boys.

"He's not here," Shikamaru lied.

The boy who asked flicked his wrist and Shikamaru went down.

Sakura covered her mouth to quiet her gasp, thinking the boy had killed him. Shikamaru landed on the floor in front of them with his eyes wide open but he did not move. He looked dead.

Then they noticed the needle sticking out of the side of Shikamaru's neck and realized he had only been paralyzed.

The boy held up his hand, a long needle between each finger. "Don't make me ask again."

The other brother sneered at the ensembled ninja in the room. "Let's just kill them, Kado. Mother would have by now."

"She lacks the patience, but remember, she asked us not to kill anyone if possible. If these ninja refuse us again, we may have to. Until then, let's abide by her wishes and not aim to kill."

His brother growled and turned his head.

"Give us the boy with the beast inside and we will leave," said Kado.

Tsunade stepped forward. "And if we refuse?"

"We'll start taking lives."

"What if the life you take is the boy you're after?"

Kado scoffed. "Who said we need him alive?"

"I understand you're on a mission, but understand that I, as the leader of the village, have a duty to protect all those who live here, including the one you're asking for."

"And I respect that," said Kado. "But you should understand the importance of missions. We will not be leaving here empty-handed. This would be so much simpler if you simply complied."

"I cannot hand him over to you."

Kado tossed something at Tsunade but it was not a needle. It was a blade on a string. It sliced her cheek and tore open a hole in the sleeve of her shirt when he pulled it back into his hand.

When the ninja moved to defend her, Kado's brother stuck them all with the needles he carried and they went down. Sayo did the same, dropping two ninja. Only a few remained.

"Mother would have killed you by now," said Kado. "Be thankful we are more merciful. I will not ask again. If you test me, I will aim for a more vital spot. I know as the village leader, you are no doubt very powerful. Don't think we came here without knowing that. We came prepared and we came to take. We would not have come into this village unless we were certain we would win. Consider that before you make your next move."

"Also consider the fact that the people laying on the floor right now are helpless. If you try to fight us, they may get caught up in it. We can't make any promises we won't go for the cheap shot either," said his brother.

Tsunade wasn't going to answer them and Naruto knew it. He couldn't let her protect him like this. Not if it would result in innocent people getting killed, including her.

Naruto shoved Sakura aside and stood up. "It's me! I'm the one you want."

"Naruto, don't," Tsunade warned.

"You came here looking for me, didn't you? Well, here I am! I'm right here. What do you want?"

The siblings eyed him up and down. Sayo even waved cheerfully at him.

He was prepared for them to use those needles on him to keep him from fighting back. He was prepared for them to tie him up with ropes and chains. He wasn't prepared for what actually happened.

"You're not the one we want."

"Huh?"

Everyone, including Tsunade looked stunned. "What?"

"You're not the one we want."

"I… I'm not?" Naruto was baffled. "But… I thought you wanted 'the boy with the beast' or whatever you said. I thought that was me."

"We're not interested in you," said Kado.

"But I have a beast sealed inside me. I thought-"

"You're not the one we want," Kado said again. "We want the pale one."

"Pale?" Naruto could only think of one person who matched that description. "You mean Sai?"

"So that's his name. Yes, he's the one."

"But he's not-"

Kado interrupted him. "Mother asked us to round up all the people who have contracted a terrible disease. He should have started displaying symptoms by now. Unable to speak or understand the human language, becoming increasingly violent. That sort of thing."

They knew.

"How did you..?" he started to ask but Kado's brother interrupted him this time.

"People in our land have started behaving the same way. They are attacking everybody. We can't have that. As members of the Arashi clan, we have a sworn duty to protect the people of our land."

"If this disease is not contained, it will continue to spread. We can't have that," finished Kado. "We understand that the pale one who was with you started displaying symptoms. We've come to take him for treatment."

"Treatment?"

"You clearly lack the skills to handle such an illness. We were tasked with the responsibility of collecting all people showing signs and bring them back to our land to be dealt with accordingly." Kado gave the Hokage a serious look. "He will only continue to get worse. The other people have. You, as the villager leader, have a responsibility, yes? If this boy remains here, he will only be a danger to himself and others. We will take him off your hands and treat him."

It was a disease after all. Naruto knew Tsunade was wrong about what Sai had.

Could these people really treat Sai? Did they have a cure?

If that was the case, Naruto was all for it. If Sai went with them, he would get better.

However, Naruto had a bad feeling about this. After seeing the noble family attack them in their home and then attack more people when they came to the Leaf Village, Naruto didn't trust them. Not to treat someone with a disease. They lacked that bedside manner. Aside from Sayo, they didn't seem to be the compassionate kind; but even she was a little unstable.

Naruto didn't want Sai to go with them.

"Grandma Tsunade…"

She didn't look at him. Instead, she stood in front of the trio and said, "If that is what you want, I'm willing to comply. But only on the condition that you discuss this with me before I turn him over to you."

"We don't negotiate," said Kado's brother.

"Ran, enough," said Kado.

"We're just going to talk. I want to know what becomes of a member of my village." Tsunade was looking into Kado's eyes. "It's a leader's responsibility, yes?"

Kado stared her down, then nodded his head. "Agreed. We shall talk." He looked at Naruto and the remaining ninja. "Alone."

"Sakura, take Naruto outside," Tsunade told her without turning around.

"Sayo," said Kado. "Gather the needles."

She cartwheeled into the office and began to pluck the needles out of each ninja on the ground. Once the needles were pulled out, the ninja were able to move again, including Shikamaru. They were all asked to leave the room while Tsunade talked to the Arashi siblings.

Naruto had to be pulled out by Sakura and he still tried to listen at the door. She pulled him down the hall and made him sit.

"I don't like it," he told her. "I don't think Sai should go with them. If they have a cure, they can do it right here."

"What if the cure is back at their home? They said Sai isn't the only one displaying symptoms. They must have a vaccine back at their village."

"Then they should have brought it with them."

"You know this clan is a bit different from other clans we're faced. They clearly have a different way of doing things."

"Tell me you're not ok with them taking Sai away."

Sakura took her time I answering. "Well, no. But if it's the only chance he has of getting better, then we may not have a choice."

Naruto didn't like the idea of one of his friends going with a clan that recently tried to kill him. He also found it fishy that the Arashi clan seemed to know what the illness was.

At least, they knew it was an illness now. Maybe Tsunade could cure it after all. Maybe that's what they were meeting about. She probably wasn't going to let Sai go with them after all. Not after the attack on their village. Naruto was almost certain Tsunade would not let them have Sai. He was staying right here.

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9:**

The door to her office opened and Tsunade stepped out. The siblings followed her.

"Well?" Naruto asked, running up to her.

"Sai is going with them," she said sadly.

"What? No!"

Tsunade didn't look pleased about this either, but she was still doing it. Naruto couldn't believe it. He tried to argue with her and plead his case, but she put her hands on his shoulders.

"Naruto, I do not have the skills necessary to cure Sai. I don't understand this illness. They do. If Sai's only hope of getting better is to have him go with them to get cured, wouldn't you? Wouldn't you give him over to people who can help him?"

"But, Granny, I…"

"I wish there was another way. We talked about it. I'm afraid there's nothing else I can do."

Naruto looked down. How could he plead his case? How could he make her see?

"We have to do what's best for Sai, Naruto."

He looked up.

Best for Sai? If this was his only chance…

As much as he didn't like the Arashi clan, if they held a cure, it was in Sai's best interest to leave with them. He couldn't deny his friend medical treatment based on personal feelings. It wasn't fair to him.

He could tell Tsunade didn't want to do this either. She had weighed her options and took everything into consideration. If this was the best solution she could come up with, then it must have been the right thing to do.

"Where is he?" Kado asked.

Tsunade pointed. "Down the hall. I'll show you."

"Good." Kado looked at the girl at his side. "Sayo, stay here for the time being and see if anyone else displays signs. If all is well, return home."

"Yes, Kado." Sayo stepped aside and watched her two brothers follow Tsunade to where Sai was being kept.

Naruto leaned against the wall, fists clenched.

He shouldn't let them take Sai. His gut told him not to. Was it due to how he felt about the family? Was his dislike clouding his judgment? Sai could get well if he went with them. In that sense, it was right to let him leave. He could get cured.

He still couldn't shake the feeling something was wrong.

They didn't know what to do for Sai. They had no cure. The Arashi clan said they understood what this was and could help him. Was it really better to let Sai pace around in a cage all day while they scratched their heads than let him go with people who knew what this was?

It didn't matter how Naruto felt if this was in Sai's best interest. He had to think about what was best for his friend.

Pacing in a cell was no way to live. Maybe Tsunade had made the right call.

But he still didn't like it.

* * *

Naruto followed the two Arashi brothers as far as they would let him. They had to stun Sai in order to keep him from attacking them. Then they wrapped him in a blanket and carried him out of his cell.

Naruto didn't like the way they were treating Sai but they had no other way to transport him so, with great difficulty, Naruto overlooked it.

"You'll be careful with him, right?" Naruto asked, trotting beside Kado who carried the bundle on his back.

"Of course," said Kado. "I'll be careful."

Kado quickened his pace and Naruto jogged to keep up. "And you'll let us know how he's doing, right?"

"Once his condition has improved, he will be returned to you."

Kado walked even faster, trying to shake Naruto but he wasn't that easy to get rid of.

"Make sure you're careful," Naruto warned him. "Please."

Kado stopped and turned to look at him. "We will take care of him. That's a promise."

Naruto didn't respond. He just stood and stared at him. Kado turned, adjusted the body slung over his shoulder and marched toward the exit. Ran followed him, never speaking a word to Naruto. Naruto followed both of them to the main gate and watched them leave the village.

Naruto stood and watched them walk away, never looking back. Naruto kept his eye on the bundle Kado carried, knowing it was Sai.

Though he knew he could follow no further, Naruto wanted to. He even took a step forward as if to chase after them, but the guards at the gate prevented it. They were given orders to let Kado and Ran pass and to let no one follow them.

Naruto stood, staring down the road long after Kado and Ran had left. No one was in sight but Naruto acted as if he could still see them.

He wanted to stop it. He wanted to keep them from leaving.

But what could he do? He didn't know how to help Sai. He didn't know what to do. They did. If it were up to him, he would have kept Sai in the village despite him being such a danger to those around him. He knew Sai did not belong in a cage, but he attacked anyone in sight so it made sense to keep him contained. If Sai stayed here, he would still be in that cage with no cure in sight. No options. Nothing would have changed.

Did Naruto really expect to hoard Sai this entire time? Keep him locked in that cell until he discovered a way to help him?

Help did come. It required Sai to be moved to a new location, but it was still help.

Was Naruto upset that it wasn't the help he envisioned, or that the responsibility was taken from him? Someone else was going to cure Sai and he had nothing to do with it. Was that why he was bothered by this? Was it the help that came to Sai's rescue or the fact that it wasn't him?

Naruto dug his fingernails into his palms.

Regardless of who arrived to save him, Naruto wanted to be there. He wanted to stay at his side and help him through this. He wanted to be there for his friend.

Instead he was here, forced to wait.

Was he alright? Was he frightened? Was he in pain? Would Sai be alright without him?

Gritting his teeth, Naruto turned back inside.

He wanted to know. He wanted to see how Sai was doing. He wanted to be there for him.

It wasn't fair.

Why did the Hokage say he could be taken away? Why did she allow this? After the Arashi clan invaded their village? It was almost as if Sai was given to them as a bribe. A peace offering. Why didn't she fight harder?

She said she was doing what was best for Sai, but was his best interest in mind when this deal was made? What were the details of their arrangement?

What could he do?

Naruto wandered around the village, restless. Most people were picking up the pieces of the Arashi attack. Thankfully, not a single person was dead. The clan wasn't trying to kill anyone. They were true to their word in that sense.

He still didn't trust them. Not all of them.

He still had a gut feeling something wasn't right. No matter how much he walked, the feeling followed him. There was no shaking it.

He repeated everything over and over again in his mind in an effort to convince himself that this was the right thing, but nothing helped quell his doubt.

He went back inside the Hokage building to ask for the details. Lady Tsunade would not discuss it with him. She said it was a private meeting.

Naruto refused to leave. He gripped the sides of her desk and held on as if expecting someone to drag him out of the office. He wasn't going without answers.

"Please," he told her faintly.

Seeing his desperation, Tsunade made an exception. He was clearly worried about his friend and needed reassurance.

"Sai is going to be taken back to where the Arashi clan lives. The people in their land have started behaving in the same way Sai was and they wish to contain it before it gets any worse. In order to do that, they have to gather everyone up in a single location for treatment. That way they can keep more people from getting infected. If they treat all but one, the illness could return. That's why they need everyone together. They also have a method of curing them, but it's back in their homeland. Do you understand?"

Naruto rested his chin on the desk.

"I asked if there was any other way, they told me there wasn't. I had to hand Sai over to them before his condition worsened and before other members of the Leaf got infected with whatever he has. If there was any way I could keep him here, I would. Believe me, Naruto."

She didn't want to surrender him.

The Arashi clan didn't just threaten the Leaf population if she refused. They also made a good point; leaving her in a terrible position. If she refused, the clan would attack and Sai would be in the same condition he was in right now. That wouldn't change and numerous people would be needlessly killed. They would still end up getting Sai, but only once the remaining people were killed. Even without an attack, the village would soon be faced with an epidemic. Sai was ill and who knew how many others might contract it if the situation wasn't handled? Handing Sai over to them was the best solution. It would save lives and get Sai the help that he needed.

She tried explaining this to Naruto but he didn't seem reassured.

"He wasn't getting better with us, Naruto," she told him. "I don't like it any more than you do, but isn't it better to hand him over to someone who can actually help him?"

Naruto straightened up. "I know, Granny. I just…"

He couldn't express his feelings using words.

"I know," she told him gently. "I wish he was being treated here, too."

She did understand how he felt.

With that in mind, Naruto mustered a weak smile and left the office.

"They'll be in touch, they tell me," she said to his back. "They'll let us know how he's doing."

"Thanks, Grandma Tsunade."

Naruto closed the door behind him and walked down the hall.

More waiting.

He felt so… helpless.

* * *

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	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10:**

"Naruto," a voice whispered to him.

He stopped and looked around the corner. Sayo was calling him but his legs didn't budge. She waved him over and he still didn't move. Finally, she grabbed him and pulled him into a closet. She closed the door, plunging them into darkness.

"What the hell?" Naruto snapped. Landing on a broom did nothing to improve his mood.

Sayo reached up and pulled the beaded cord above them, turning on the light.

Naruto just asked again, "What the hell?" He gave her an angry look, forgetting who her family was. He didn't care, anyway. So what if she was from the Arashi clan? He was going to speak to her however he felt like.

"Shh," she hissed, pressing a finger to her lips. "I wanted to talk to you in private."

"Well, I don't feel like talking." Naruto tried to get up but a collection of towels prevented it. He had to unbury himself first before getting up.

As Naruto dug his way out, Sayo kept him from leaving by saying, "It's about your friend."

"Sai?" Naruto stopped trying to leave and sat where he was. "What about him?"

Sayo pressed her ear to the door. Once certain no one was going to hear them, she crouched in front of him. "I know what they're going to do to him. How my family will treat his illness."

"You're supposed to have some kind of cure back at your village, right? That's what Granny told me."

"Because that's what we told her. That's not true. We don't have a cure for them."

Naruto leaned forward, almost headbutting her. "If you don't have a cure, how are you going to treat him?"

Sayo was blunt with her reply, but her eyes held sadness for the answer she was about to give him. "Your friend and all those people… My clan plans to get rid of the illness… by eradicating them."

Naruto knew what that word meant. His heart fell into his stomach. "Y- you mean..?"

She nodded. "They plan to kill them. All of them. Including Sai."

He knew something was wrong. He knew it all along. Somehow, Naruto already knew the Arashi clan planned to kill Sai.

"But why?" he asked, close to yelling. "Why would they..?"

"We don't know a cure. No one does. We've asked. My clan feels the best way to get rid of an illness is to destroy it. No more sick people, no more problem. Once the carriers are gone, there will be no one left to spread the disease."

"But that's crazy!"

"It's what Mother decided. Our duty as the noble family is to protect the people of our land. If this illness is threatening people, we must get rid of it. If we don't have a cure, this is the only other solution," Sayo explained. "We never told your leader this truth because we knew she would never agree to hand him over. We told her we could treat him at our village."

"And by treat you mean kill."

Sayo shrugged. "It's a method of treatment, so I suppose it's not really a lie."

"I'm not going to let you guys kill Sai!"

"I know that," said Sayo. "Why do you think I told you what we were planning? I expect you'll try to stop it."

She was warning him. She couldn't speak the truth in front of her brothers so she waited until they were gone. She also overheard Naruto in the Hokage's office and knew he was desperate and wished for his friend's safety. He was the one to tell. Especially if he was willing to go by himself to rescue him. The Hokage would send an army which would be difficult to hide.

"I have to help him. Where are they keeping him?"

Sayo did not know. "All I know is that the sick people are being kept somewhere in my village. Probably not my house. But I'm not sure where. It must be big enough to hold all those people, though."

It was a start. It was better than searching the globe.

"I've got to get there before anything happens to him." Naruto put his hand on the doorknob then stopped. He looked down at Sayo. "Why are you telling me all this?" he asked.

She was a member of the Arashi clan; she had a hand in the attack on the village. Sure, she was a little different from the rest of her family, but, black sheep or not, she was giving out secret information. If they lied once, how could Naruto be certain this wasn't a lie, too?

Why in the world would she help him? What was her motivation?

"I want you to help your friend," she told him. "I can tell you care about him. If you want to help him, now's your chance. It's up to you if you go or not."

"But why?" he asked her. "Why are you telling me? Why tell me about this secret plan of your family's? I don't get why you'd tell me."

Sayo's answer didn't come as quick as her other ones. "Well," she said slowly. "I like you."

"You like me?" Naruto asked, taken aback. "Why?"

"I suppose it's because you're different."

"Different? Different how?"

"You're bold. Bold and blunt."

Her simple explanation did little to diminish Naruto's confusion. He was still scratching his head. "You like that I'm bold? But why?"

Sayo looked at the floor in sadness. "I found in refreshing," she explained. "You see, I don't have any friends back home. It's just me and my brothers. They're all older than me, but they're the only ones close to my age I spend time with. Everyone else is too afraid."

Realizing how lonely Sayo was, Naruto felt an instant connection to her. He understood such loneliness. She had a family so their childhoods weren't the same, but they were similar in that they didn't have any friends to play with.

He felt sorry for her.

"Most people try to avoid me," she went on. "I started hanging out with some local kids, but I realized they were only my friends because they were scared of me. They were nice to me because of who my family was. I even heard their parents prepping them once, telling them all the things to make sure they do when they're around me so my family won't kill theirs."

She suspected that their friendships weren't real to begin with. The children only laughed when she laughed and always looked to her for approval before they did anything. Their conversations were extremely limited, using minimal words and getting right to the point. They never debated, too frightened by the consequences of disagree with her. They never had an opinion of their own and sided with her on everything.

"It's boring," she told him, anguish in her voice. "If I like green, they have to like green. If I think something is stupid, then they all think it's stupid. I saw one girl throw her bag away when I said I didn't like poka-dots. They never did anything to offend me. They were too scared. I was sick of it, so I stopped hanging out with them. I knew they resented me. I wanted a real friendship."

Due to her family's reputation, she would never have it.

"Do you know what it's like to have people tremble at the sight of you? To force themselves to laugh when you laugh because they are too afraid to be different? To disagree? To have another opinion? People shake when we walk down the street. Mothers dash inside when their babies start crying, terrified the noise would annoy us and we'll try to silence the child ourselves. It's horrible. People are too scared to do anything! They're too scared to be my friend. Those kids were only my friends because then they would have protection. If I like them, then my family won't try to hurt them. But if they displease me in any way, they're scared that will be enough to make my family seek revenge. I hate it."

Then she looked at Naruto.

"But you… You're different. The first time you met me, even knowing who I was, you were bold and did not shake. You weren't afraid. You treated me like a real person. It was a nice change."

Naruto was touched that he managed to bring some joy to this young girl's life. He bent down and put a hand on her knee. "What about the zookeeper? He doesn't shake when you're around. I saw him talk to you."

Sayo shook her head. "He lets me get away with so much. No one is allowed near those animals accept the workers. He lets me come into the cages with him which no one is allowed to do. He never does it for anyone else. People have to pay a fee to get in but the noble family doesn't. We were allowed in for free. I can show up any time I like and he doesn't throw me out. I know I annoy him but he keeps me around anyway because of who I am. I know it. I know it's because he's sacred of what would happen otherwise."

He had to admit the zookeeper did let her get away with a lot without a single threat. He never punished her. Most children would be banned after trying to get inside an animal enclosure but Sayo was still able to come back and do as she pleased. It annoyed the zookeeper and he clearly did not approve, but she certainly did seem to be an exception to the rule.

"I can tell you're different from other people, Naruto, and I like you. And I can see how much you care about your friend. That's why I told you this. If you want to save him, you have the opportunity to do so with this information. Whatever you do now is up to you."

"I'm going to save him, of course," he said with a clenched fist. "Count on it."

She smiled. "See? That's the kind of friendship I would like. Not ones ruled by fear and status. I can tell you care about him a lot. I wish I had a friendship like that."

Sayo reached passed Naruto and opened the door. Light shined into the small closet and, without the door supporting his back, Naruto pitched backwards.

"At least, you have a real friendship." Sayo smiled again. "Since I don't have that, I know how important it is to protect."

Naruto stepped outside the closet but did not leave. He knelt in front of Sayo and held out his hand. "That's not true, actually."

"What is?"

"You not having any real friends. That's not true. Not anymore." Naruto took her hand and pulled her to her feet.

Sayo didn't understand what Naruto was saying until she saw his toothy grin. She returned it ten-fold. "You really want to be my friend?"

"Sure," he told her. "You just did the first step to creating a real friendship and that's helping someone. That shows me you're capable."

"Really?"

"Sure. You're helping me. Why wouldn't I want to be your friend?"

Sayo bounced up and down gripping his hand tightly. Grinning from ear to ear, she gave a high-pitched squeal of pour joy.

"Thanks." Naruto squeezed her hand back. "Now I have to go and help my other friend."

Naruto pulled his hand free and ran down the hall.

* * *

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	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11:**

Naruto was more determined than ever to get to Sai. He was grateful for the information Sayo gave him, but he was more furious than ever at the rest of her family.

Their method of handling the situation made no sense. It would only create further pain and suffering. Since when was such a drastic decision ever a good solution? There might have been a cure but they were just overlooking it. The noble family wasn't the most patient in the world so they probably never bothered to look for another solution. This was the best they could come up with? Naruto wanted them all to get the same illness and see how quick they were to carry out their plan.

He was tempted, but he wouldn't. It wasn't right.

A sobering thought entered his mind.

It was the way he treated Sai yesterday and that morning.

Sai was ill and Naruto never noticed. He was getting worse and worse and the thought never crossed Naruto's mind that something was wrong with his friend. He thought Sai was being his usual socially awkward self. He should have realized his behavior wasn't simple ignorance but something else.

He got angry at him. Yelled at him. He blamed Sai for what happened that evening.

He should have been more understanding. He shouldn't have waved it off. He should have investigated. Maybe they could have caught it sooner.

It wasn't his fault. Sai didn't do any of those things by choice. It was the illness driving him to do it without his consent. Sai didn't even realize it was happening.

Naruto remembered the horrified look on Sai's face when he realized he bit him. He truly didn't mean it. He wasn't aware of what he had done until afterwards. He never made the conscious decision to bite him. The look on his face said it all.

He was scared and confused and truly sorry.

This whole time Naruto had been blaming him for something that wasn't his fault. He got mad at Sai when he did something beyond his control. He never meant it. Any of it. Naruto even yelled at him when Sai wasn't aware of his actions.

It felt like someone punched him in the stomach. Naruto winced at the pain.

It was never Sai's fault. He shouldn't have yelled at him. He shouldn't have blamed him.

That look on Sai's face haunted him.

Sai was horrified by his own actions. He didn't know what was happening.

They should have done more to help him. Instead they yelled at him, hit him and locked him in a cage.

Naruto stopped running and leaned against a wall, huffing and puffing.

Who was he to talk? Who was he to say the Arashi clan was handling it the wrong way when Naruto was no better?

He should have helped Sai. He should have been more understanding. He shouldn't have yelled at him. He should have been a better friend.

"It wasn't his fault." Naruto's whisper fell like a stone to the ground. Saying it out loud only made him feel even more guilty.

He had to rescue Sai. Not just because of the injustice but to tell him in person how sorry he was. It was the least he could do for his friend.

He would show him how sorry he was. He would show him what it was to be a friend. A great friend. He had to make amends somehow and saving Sai's life was a good start.

Motivated, Naruto started running again.

"I'm coming, Sai. Hold on. Just hold on."

He looked around to get his bearings and realized he was outside. He was close to his apartment but didn't stop. He knew he should have stopped to gather some supplies but he was in too much of a hurry to stop. Figuring he could do without them, Naruto pressed on.

"Naruto, where are you going?"

He didn't stop to answer the question. He simply called out, "I'm going after Sai," and kept running.

A flash of pink blocked his path and Naruto halted.

"What are you talking about?" Sakura asked him, her arms stretched out to either side to block him. Each time he tried, she stepped to the side. There was no way around her.

"Sai's not going with the noble family to be cured. He's going to be killed."

"What?"

Naruto didn't wait for her to ask a follow-up question. "It's true," he told her hastily. "They don't know of any cure. Their method of dealing with this illness is to kill anyone who has it in order to keep it from spreading. They're rounding up all the people in order to bring them back to their village and kill them."

"How do you know all this?"

Sakura didn't believe him. Actually, she didn't want to believe him. If the Arashi clan tried to kill a group over an empty box and not allow them any time to explain themselves, she could only imagine what they would do to someone who actually posed a threat. Minimal or not.

Sai was clearly violent and didn't respond to their pleas. The clan obviously saw someone like that as a threat. Maybe they were going to take drastic measures.

"I know," said Naruto, "because Sayo told me. She said that's what her family decided."

"She could be lying."

He shook his head. "No. I believe her. I know she was telling the truth. I could tell."

"Lady Tsunade would never let Sai leave with these people if she knew they planned to kill him."

"They didn't tell her what they were really planning. She doesn't know."

"If they can lie to the Hokage, what makes you think they wouldn't lie to you?"

"The brothers lied. Sayo didn't. The only reason she didn't tell Granny is because her brothers were there. And she didn't tell her after they left because she knew Granny would send a bunch of people to save Sai and if that happened a fight would break out. The Arashi clan is tough, Sakura. They'll kill anyone she sends to save him, and we'll try to kill them. Don't you see? Sayo is trying to save lives, not take them."

"Then why would she tell you?" Sakura asked. "She must have known you might try to tell Lady Tsunade. If you did, then the thing she was trying to prevent would happen anyway."

"She told me because she knew I would go after Sai myself." Naruto looked down. "She said I was different and trusted me. That's why she told me."

Sakura tilted her head so she could see Naruto's expression. "She said you were different?" Sakura pried. "How so? What did she tell you?"

Naruto looked into her eyes. "Just enough for me to know the clan isn't hopeless."

Everyone else feared the Arashi family. They were all tough and dangerous and quick to react. They came across as cold and unfeeling. That they were nothing but killing machines who lived for combat. Sayo was different. If that one girl was different from the rest of her family, then she could wind up changing the clan for the better. She didn't need to be more like them; they needed to be more like her.

"We're wasting time," said Naruto. "We have to get there before they do anything to Sai. They were on foot. If we run, we might be able to catch them before they make it to their village."

"That won't do any good." Shikamaru walked up behind them from where he had been eavesdropping. "They will still be trying to get him even after you set him free. And there's still the matter of all those other people they have detained back in their village. Those people need rescuing, too."

"Were you listening this whole time?"

"Saving them is just the first step," Sakura added, ignoring Naruto's comment. "They're still sick. At least, that's what everyone keeps saying. Sai and all those people might be safe from danger, but they're still in that state. We have to get them back to normal."

"We can gather information and see if there's any possible way to change them back, or at the very least find out what's wrong with them."

"What are we standing around for?" Naruto asked through his teeth. "Let's go!"

"We can't intercept them on the road, Naruto. The best way to handle this is to follow them to their village and save all those people," said Shikamaru. "Sai's not the only one in danger. But breaking them free isn't solving the problem. The clan will still be after them. We'll have to find a way to stop them from carrying out their plan, but the only way to do that seems to be to cure everyone who has this illness."

"We might be able to work out a deal with them," said Sakura. "Buy us time."

"You met them, Sakura. These guys aren't reasonable," Naruto argued.

"We'll come up with something."

Naruto didn't want to waste any more time. He told them to come if they wanted, but he was leaving.

Knowing Naruto was too impulsive, the two went after him without telling anyone what they were doing. The three of them left the village together and took the same path as the Arashi brothers.

Along the way, they ran into possible reinforcements coming back from their own mission. The group stopped to talk to Hinata, Shino and Kiba about what was going on. If they agreed to help, they couldn't inform anyone back at the village. In order for this mission to succeed, they had to carry it out with absolute secrecy. Even when they got to the next village, they had to remain out of sight.

For a mission that required a lot of sneaking around and keeping out of sight, these were the best ninja for the job; and lucky for them, they agreed.

The group of six humans and a dog hurried to the village where the Arashi clan lived. They didn't stop to rest the entire trip. They went over possible strategies as they traveled. Naruto barely heard a word of it. He was too focused on what he needed to do.

They slowed as they approached the village and hid in the woods. They needed to enter very carefully. Naruto and Sakura had already been here and the clan knew them. The other four were at a slight advantage seeing as they weren't familiar. Even so, they needed to be careful.

Hinata used her Byakugan to look for Sai and the other people. The people were spread out, but she did detect a massive group in a single location which seemed out of the ordinary. She also spotted something else.

"I think I see him. It's his chakra signature."

"Where?" Naruto pressed.

Having him so close and pressing her for answers made her nervous. "Uh, I can't tell. There are others with him. I'm pretty sure it's him, though. That way. They're inside something."

"In a building? A cage? What?"

"Naruto, let her concentrate," said Sakura.

"Two buildings down. It looks like a cage. About the size of a small shed. I count four people inside. No, five. There are five total."

"I'm coming, Sai!" Naruto bolted and the others grabbed his legs. He slammed into the ground and his friends pulled him back among the trees.

"Are you nuts?" barked Kiba. "Running in like a lunatic defeats the purpose of us sneaking around, you moron."

"Let's ease our way into the village and over to his location," said Shino. "We need to be as discreet as possible. I suggest we spread out and-"

"Let's spread out," said Kiba. "We'll each go around a building and see what we see. If Sai's there, we'll bust him out."

Shino sat silently, annoyed.

"Ok, let's go."

Everyone fanned out, forming a crescent shape. They moved forward little by little until they had the cage in their sights. It looked like a wooden shed with a latch on it. It had no bars or windows. A chain was tied around the box, looping through the latch which could only be the door. It looked like there was only one way in and out of that small shed-like cage.

The container was resting on the ground. The two brothers were near it.

"I can try to have my bugs pick the lock," said Shino to Shikamaru. "Although, I'm not sure setting them all free is the best way to go about it. Not if all the people inside are violent. They'll attack us. Even if they don't, they'll run off."

"Yeah, it's best to keep them contained for now. They'll be easier to handle," said Shikamaru. "We just have to keep them out of danger. That's our goal for now."

"So how do we go about this? From the sound of things, the two brothers there aren't going to listen to reason. They don't sound like the listening type. Even if we beg them not to do anything rash…"

"They might not listen," Shikamaru finished. "I know."

"As long as Sai and the other people are sealed inside that cage, they'll be easy to handle. Should we take the cage from the brothers and then focus on the other people in their village?"

Shikamaru thought about their options. "No," he said finally. "I say we follow them back to the village and see where they're keeping the other infected people. My guess is that they're going to be taking that cage over to where the others are being held. This limits our search. They'll take us right to where we want to go. I just want to make sure Sai is actually in there and that he's still alive."

The two brothers looked in the same direction. Something caught their eye. Something was making noise. The ninja heard it, too. One brother started to wander off to investigate while the other stayed with the container. Another noise caught the second brother's attention and, after making sure the wooden box was secure, wandered off to check it out.

With both brothers distracted, Naruto came out of hiding and went for the container.

"Don't tell me he's doing what I think he's doing," said Shino.

Shikamaru held his breath, praying Naruto was smart enough not to open the cage and simply look inside to see if Sai was still alive.

If Naruto opened that box, everyone inside would come flooding out of there.

Naruto took out his kunai and stabbed the latch on the door. The wedged the blade between the wood and the metal latch, prying it away from its foundation. It was already loose from the prisoners pounding against the door so after a few quick thrusts, the latch came free and the chains fell with it.

"Naruto, don't!"

It was too late. The heavy chains slid down the wooden box quickly. Without the chains or the latch, there was nothing to keep the door closed.

"Sa-"

Before Naruto could get out the name, the door flew open with a bang.

The first person in Naruto's face was a woman who reached for his neck. Naruto jumped back and watched as all the captives fled their cage and attacked. Naruto looked from one stranger to another until he found Sai standing behind the group.

"Sai!"

His face looked just as twisted as the rest of them, contorted with rage. He joined them in the attack, forcing Naruto to back away franticly.

The group stopped charging, frozen in place. Naruto looked at the ground and saw a large shadow curving around his legs and latching on to them. Shikamaru's quick actions saved Naruto, but the matter was not resolved.

"You idiot!" Shikamaru called from the bushes. "I told you to hold back until we had this sorted out."

He should have used his shadow to stop Naruto but he gave him the benefit of the doubt, hoping he wouldn't be stupid enough to open the door. So much for that idea. At least, he was quick enough to save Naruto from the consequences of his foolish actions.

Naruto stepped away from the trapped group of snarling people. "I thought the plan was to set Sai free so we could save him."

"Even if we set him free, the matter isn't resolved. We were going to follow them back to the village then…"

Shikamaru noticed his shadow trembling. These people were stronger than he thought. Holding this group back wasn't going to be easy.

What would happen when the brothers returned? They were due back any second. If they saw Naruto or any of the others, the brothers would know they were being followed by ninja.

"Naruto, get back here and hide. I'm going to release the jutsu and when I do…"

"I'm not leaving without Sai!"

"No one is! You have to trust me, Naruto. We're going to help him. But now's not the time for us to make our move. We have to wait until we find out where they're holding the other villagers. If they see us, they'll be on guard. If you stay hidden like the rest of us, those brothers will assume the infected people broke out on their own. They can't know about us, Naruto. Now hide!"

Naruto looked back at Sai, unwilling to walk away. But he knew Shikamaru was right, so he went back into the trees with his friends.

Shikamaru waited until the last second to release the jutsu so they wouldn't get caught up in the attack. As soon as he saw the brothers returning, he released the jutsu and the people were free to move. The first thing they did was spread out into the forest.

"Ran, they're free!" yelled one brother. "They broke out!"

"Dammit, I knew those chains wouldn't be enough. Round them up, quick!"

Naruto and the others watched as brothers Kado and Ran rounded up the snarling people. Some headed towards the woods where Naruto's friends were hidden. One was captured by Kado but two went into the woods without much hassle. The rescue team went into the trees to keep out of reach, but the infected people stood below as if sensing where they were and would not leave.

This wouldn't do. If the brothers showed up, they would notice the people trying to climb into the trees and know someone was following them. At this point, the goal was to avoid confrontation until they got to the village.

In an attempt to distract them, Naruto jumped from his perch and landed behind the duo. Desiring an easier target, the man and woman went after the ninja on the ground. Naruto kept backing up, luring them away from the trees. He looked around to make sure the brothers wouldn't spot him. When he looked back, the duo had gotten closer, taking wide swings at Naruto's head.

In his haste to distance himself from their attacks, Naruto didn't notice the bush behind him. Caught off balance, Naruto stumbled into the bush, fell on top of it and rolled off, falling to the ground.

The woman tried to grab him and Naruto kicked her hand away. He scrambled to his feet only to freeze where he stood when he heard growling coming from his left.

Sai was among the duo, closing in on the side so there would be no escape.

"Sai."

He snarled at Naruto, malice in his gaze.

Naruto stood where he was, wondering if Sai hated him for his abandonment. If only Naruto hadn't neglected to notice something was amiss, Sai wouldn't be in this situation. He wouldn't believe that Naruto didn't care about him. Sai must have felt hurt.

Naruto felt so bad. If only he had reacted differently. He should have known Sai wasn't acting this way on purpose. Sai's hurt feelings must have contributed to some of his violent behavior. He must have been growling at him because he was angry with Naruto. He probably hated him.

Lost in his feelings of guilt and sorrow, Naruto barely managed to block the woman's attack. He knocked her arm aside when it came at his head but that was when the man chose to use that opening for his own attack.

Naruto stepped backwards to avoid him, tripping and falling for a second time. He tried to get up but the woman was waiting for him and swung at his head. Naruto sat on the ground, shuffling backwards as fast as he could. He had to gain some distance or risk them landing an attack on him. The woman looked intent on ripping the skin from his face with her nails. Naruto kicked her hand when it came close, but that only made her angrier.

She and the man closed in above him while Sai charged in from the side.

What was he supposed to do? His clones could help but the noise and their abundance would tip off the brothers. If he used his weapons, he would risk hurting them. If these infected civilians were anything like Sai, they didn't mean to do any of this. They were innocent. Naruto didn't want to hurt them. Depending on the wound, the brothers might see that it was a weapon rather than assume the man and woman had attacked each other.

Anything he did would be too big of a risk. He just had to keep backing up until he could get into the trees. His only other option was to use a substitution and hope it wouldn't be too obvious. That he could do.

As Naruto got ready, he saw Sai leap in front of him with a snarl.

Naruto sat frozen again.

Sai wasn't snarling at him. He was snarling at the man and women. He stood in front of Naruto, baring his teeth at the infected civilians.

When they snarled back, Sai roared and took a step forward. They roared back and stood their ground. Sai raised his shoulders and roared again.

Taking this opportunity to escape, Naruto fled into the trees and hid among the branches. He looked between the leaves, watching the trio interact with each other. It was almost as if they were having a conversation. Their growls and roared were differently pitched.

Naruto had gotten to the trees just in time. The two brothers had arrived and attacked the trio. The carefully aimed needles sent all three of them toppling over, paralyzed. They wrapped each one in a cloth one at a time and returned them to the cage. Once they were all loaded inside, Kado slammed the door shut while Ran tied the same chains around the box again with the addition of another.

The brothers leaned the box on its wheels and dragged it down the road to their home.

Shikamaru instructed everyone to wait before following them to the village, just in case they were spotted. They couldn't follow too closely.

The delay allowed Naruto to play back the event in his head.

He didn't want to leave Sai, but he knew he had to get into the trees or risk being noticed. He had already caused enough trouble when he tried to free the occupants of that cage and didn't want to make things worse.

However, Naruto was very tempted to remain where he was and not just because he didn't want to abandon a friend. It was because of what Sai did.

It looked like he was trying to protect him.

At first, it looked like Sai was joining them in the attack, but then he faced the other way. He growled at the attacking duo. Didn't that mean he was protecting Naruto? It certainly looked that way to him.

"I can reach him," Naruto whispered.

"What was that?" Sakura asked him.

He looked at her. "Sai hasn't lost his humanity. Not all of it. Back there, he tried to protect me, I'm sure of it. That means we can reason with him."

"But Lady Tsunade and I have been trying and you saw what he was like in that cage. He won't talk to us and he attacks anyone who gets close. He can't be reasoned with."

"No, I'm sure he can. He protected me just then when the other two attacked. What does that tell you?"

"Maybe he wasn't protecting you," said Shino. "Maybe he saw the other two as more of a challenge when you were on the ground. Sai's actions seem very animalistic. Perhaps he was trying to make the other two go away so he could have you all to himself like animals in the wild unwilling to share."

"You don't know that!"

"Naruto, I know you're concerned about Sai," said Shikamaru. "But even if you are correct and he was protecting you, you've seen how unstable he is. Setting him free would just cause more trouble. It would defeat the point of a sneak attack with all the noise he's making and he's another thing we have to keep track of. We can't have him wandering off or have him attack someone on a whim. Besides, if we were to set him free now and no one else, those brothers would notice him missing."

"Exactly," said Shino. "If we were to release all the people, that would cause even more problems. In their current state of mind, they would be wandering around the woods and might attack an innocent traveler. They could also be attacked by a wild animal. Even if they are violent and willing to take the animal on, they could still get hurt or killed."

"That's why it's not a good idea to set them free," Shikamaru added. "Not now. I want to keep them safe as much as the next person, but setting them free to avoid being executed is just going to raise further problems. The plan is to find out where they're being held and stall the clan from killing them. We'll know exactly where they are and they won't be able to harm anyone locked up."

"Aside from the very real possibility of them hurting people if we were to set them loose, there's another reason we should keep them locked up," said Shino. "If and when we find a cure, it will be a lot easier for us to administer it to the infected population if they are all confined to a single location. If all are not accounted for, we'll have to track them down and hope they haven't harmed an innocent person they happened upon in the woods or in a different town."

"But no one knows of a cure," pointed out Hinata. "If even the Hokage couldn't help Sai, how are we supposed to cure him? I'm not giving up, but I'm saying it will be hard for us to figure out a cure when everyone else has failed."

"They're sort of acting like they have rabies," said Kiba. "Did the Hokage treat him for that?"

"She couldn't find any bites or scratches on Sai's body," said Sakura. "We were with him the whole time and he never mentioned being bitten by anything. Besides, Lady Tsunade and I both ruled out rabies."

"The best way for us to find a cure is to first figure out what he has in the first place," said Hinata. "Once we find out what he has and how he got it, we can go from there."

"The deciding factor is how he got it," said Shikamaru.

"Why the how and not the what?" asked Kiba.

Shikamaru gestured towards the direction the brothers had gone. "This has been bugging me ever since they came to the village to round up Sai and take him back with them. Him and all those people from the village. See, it sounds like this isn't a natural illness. They didn't contract this. They were infected."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying someone willingly infected Sai and all those people. This is a man-made disease. Not something you can get naturally. I think someone purposely made them sick."

"If that is the case, it would explain why Lady Tsunade wasn't able to find a cure," said Shino. "If it was man-made, then it's possible for us to make a cure from the serum that was created to cause this. We can work backwards from there."

"But why would someone do that?" asked Hinata. "Why infect all those people?"

"And who?" added Sakura. "Who would do that?"

"I'm already suspicious of someone," said Shikamaru. "That's the other thing that was bothering me."

"What?"

Shikamaru gestured again down the road. "Those brothers showed up saying that they were looking for a pale ninja who should have started displaying signs of the disease afflicting the people from their village. How would they know that? They weren't with Sai and he didn't start displaying signs until after he got back to the Leaf Village. They weren't around to see any of it."

Sakura gasped. "You're right. How could we have missed that? They knew exactly who they were looking for. Long before Sai started showing signs. They knew who was infected and how he was behaving."

"I think the Arashi clan is responsible," said Shikamaru. "I think they infected Sai on purpose. How else would they know who they were looking for and when to show up?"

"No way!" said Naruto. "Sayo warned me. There's no way she would do that if she was involved."

"Maybe not her, but what about her brothers? They could have done this. Or their parents. Sayo isn't the only member of the Arashi clan."

"We shouldn't rule her out just because she warned Naruto, either," said Shino. "It could have been a trap to lure us here."

"But it doesn't make any sense," said Naruto. "Why would they do that?"

"You said that they got pretty pissed off and attacked you when the package you were supposed to deliver to them was empty. They threw a knife at you."

"Which cut Sai." Sakura gasped again. "The knife could have been dipped in something. That's how he got the illness."

"The clan thought you had insulted them and did this for revenge."

"But why just Sai?' Naruto asked.

"Maybe they wanted to infect all of you but you got out of there too quick so they only managed to get Sai."

"And the villagers?" asked Hinata. "The villagers had nothing to do with that. Why infect them?"

"Yeah, what Hinata said. Why them? They didn't do anything."

Shikamaru looked down. "That was the part that's been throwing me off. It doesn't make sense if you guys were the ones who insulted them. Why go after their own village? Even if it was a ruse to get you to hand over Sai, they didn't have to infect all those people. They could have just told you."

"Unless we asked them to prove it," said Kiba.

"Then I remembered what you guys mentioned before about the clan," Shikamaru went on. "About how the Arashi clan was appointed to power by the village. How they're supposed to protect the village. But everyone is terrified of them. Their village has also been peaceful for so long. Those things combined could convince the villagers to question why they still have the Arashi clan in power. They probably feel they are no longer needed if things are peaceful. Without the noble family around, the villagers won't be scared of them anymore."

"Your point being?"

"I'm saying that the Arashi clan might have reached this conclusion, so they came up with this plan to create a new threat they would have to save the village from, thus proving that they are still needed. After witnessing this, the village might want the clan to remain in power and never doubt their importance again, despite their fear."

"So you're saying they created this illness to show the village that they're still needed so they won't lose their position of power?"

"Exactly," Shikamaru said with a nod. "Even if they're scared of the Arashi clan, if they believe that they will be protected under their watch, the villagers will keep them around and not try to overthrow them. They'd rather feel safe."

"That makes sense," said Kiba. "They want the clan's protection. These people aren't used to dealing with something like this. If the clan isn't in power, they'll have no reason to look after the villagers. I think the villagers are more scared of dealing with things on their own than having to put up with an intimidating noble family."

Naruto shook his head. "But how could they come up with something like this? They're warriors, not scientists. How could they make something like this?"

"That's what we'll have to find out. Maybe they had help. Maybe someone in the noble family has skills outside of fighting. People can have more than one talent."

"And we still don't know what was in that box we were supposed to deliver," said Sakura.

Someone was responsible for what happened to Sai and the villagers. Naruto didn't believe Sayo was involved, and maybe she wasn't. Her brothers and mother seemed more vicious than she was. Maybe they had something to do with it. Or whoever stole the contents of that box.

Enough time had passed. Shikamaru led the others through the woods, following the brothers back to their home.

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	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12:**

When Naruto and his friends arrived at the Arashi clan's village, the streets were deserted making it easy for them to sneak around without being noticed by civilians. They moved behind buildings, tracking the two brothers. They stopped in front of a large warehouse and lowered the cage they had been dragging to the ground.

Shikamaru watched closely. One brother remained with the wooden container while the other moved around the side of the building and out of sight. Shikamaru signaled for Shino to send out his bugs to spy on the one they could not see. Shino sent a few bugs over to the warehouse, keeping the numbers low so the brothers wouldn't take notice. The bugs were able to keep a closer eye on the second brother who moved to the back of the warehouse and started thumping against the wall with the side of his fist.

Meanwhile, the second brother unlocked the warehouse door and opened it quickly. He pulled each person from the cage one by one and shoved them inside, slamming the door after each one of them. As he did this, he pulled the needles from their bodies with his fist. Sai was the last to be shoved inside. The brother yanked the needles from Sai's neck and shoved him inside. He slammed the door shut and locked it, sealing them in.

He tossed the needles into the empty cage along with the tarp they used to transport Sai out of the Leaf Village and closed the door. The other brother came to meet his sibling at the door. They spoke to each other, then started to wheel the cage away.

"Now's our chance," whispered Naruto.

"To do what?" Sakura hissed. "Let them out? I thought we agreed that that would just cause more problems."

"But now we know where they are," Naruto argued. "If they stay there, they'll be killed."

"And you think it's better to let them all free while they're in this state? I agree with Shikamaru. As long as we know where they are and keep everyone together, we can cure them all when the time comes. We just have to keep the Arashi family distracted so they don't make any more moves."

Sai was right there and no one would let Naruto rescue him. Naruto understood the danger, but he was more concerned about the people being killed than what would happen if they were released. Even if they were all detained in a single location, Naruto felt they weren't safe where they were.

Shino held out his hand as his bugs returned to him. He studied the insects on his palm then spoke to the group.

"There is only one door to the warehouse. The one we can see from here. The second brother went around to the side of the building and pounded on the wall. His intention seemed to be to make noise. He didn't do anything else. I think he was trying to lure the people inside to his location with the noise he was making so there would be less of them by the only entrance when the other brother opened the door to let in the others."

"That would make sense."

Shikamaru looked at the warehouse. "I think they're using this place for storage. I don't know for what. If it's food, I don't think the noble family would leave it in there with infected people. If it's some other kind of supplies, they might have kept that stuff in there."

"What does that matter?" asked Kiba.

"To give us an idea of how many people we're dealing with." Shikamaru gestured to the building. "The building itself is a certain size, but depending on what's inside and if anything has been removed, it could clue us in on how many people are in there. If the noble family didn't remove any supplies, then that limits the space inside. Not too many people would be able to fit in there if it is a place for storage, which it seems to be. But if they did remove whatever was inside beforehand, judging on the size of the building, we might be looking at a whole swarm of people."

"The village is unusually quiet," said Sakura. "You don't suppose the majority of the village is in there, do you?"

"I don't know. But let's assume there's a lot of people in there. That being the case, it would be unwise for us to attempt to open that door. They would flood the streets. The noble family would be overwhelmed and so will we."

"Hear that, Naruto?" asked Sakura, giving him a look. "You can't open those doors. There could be hundreds inside."

"Yeah, yeah, fine."

Before, Hinata had mentioned seeing a large group of people, but there were too many to count and they were all pressed together. No matter how they looked at it, there was no way of knowing the exact number of people inside the warehouse.

Shikamaru looked at the building again. "Windows."

"Huh?"

He pointed. "Windows. There are windows lining the walls just below the roof. But there are no windows near the ground. I'm thinking there could be a balcony of some kind around there. There's only one door to the building. If we were to use that, the people would come flooding out. But if we were to use those windows, we might be able to look inside while staying at a distance from the infected people. We could stand on the balcony which would probably overlook all the people inside."

"That could give us a better idea of how many are in there."

"We might also be able to use the balcony in some way."

"I couldn't help but notice that the brother removed the needles from the people before he pushed them inside," said Shikamaru.

"That means they aren't all paralyzed anymore," said Sakura. "That makes them dangerous."

"Exactly. I wonder why he would do that," said Shikamaru. "He tossed everything inside that cage, including that tarp he used to wrap Sai in."

"The brothers didn't have that cage with them when they came to the village," said Sakura. "You think they left it somewhere when they came for Sai? Or maybe it's something more important."

"And why would they remove the needles if it kept them paralyzed?" asked Kiba. "They should be easier to handle that way. Instead, they have to worry about the people getting free every time they open that door."

"I have a theory," said Shikamaru. "Infection. They used a tarp so they wouldn't have to touch the infected people directly. The needles entered their flesh. They're either taking the needles to be disposed of to rid the weapons of possible infection so they wouldn't spread it upon reuse, or they took them to be studied."

"Sounds to me like they don't know how this thing is spread," said Naruto. "Using a tarp and getting rid of anything that touched them. If they had anything to do with this, wouldn't they know how it was spread in the first place? They wouldn't have to go through all these precautions."

"Or they know exactly how it's transmitted and know what they need to get rid of," said Kiba. "Why are you defending them? From the little you told us when you were filling us in, the noble family sounds like a household full of jackasses. They're cruel and quick-tempered. Why defend a family like that? Clearly, they're no good and not worth your time."

"Not all of them," Naruto snapped. "Sayo isn't like that. She warned me. I told her we were friends. She's different."

"Look, if the family has that reputation and we know she's being trained to be like them, then…"

"That's association!" Naruto snapped even louder. "Just because the family's like that doesn't mean they all are. You don't know what it's like for her. To be looked at like you're a monster."

Sakura finally understood why Naruto was defending that girl.

Similar backgrounds.

In Naruto's experience, people wanted nothing to do with him. Sayo was a similar way. The looks were slightly different, but there was fear in the eyes of those who looked upon them. Sayo probably wasn't given such hateful looks because the villagers were too afraid of her family to make her feel in any way uncomfortable.

People chased Naruto away or just ignored him. People gave Sayo anything she wanted out of fear. It was different, but still painful. Naruto could see that being given anything and everything was just as painful as being alone and ignored. Naruto didn't have friends and neither did Sayo. Any friendship she had was founded on fear and self-gain. None of it was real. People only wanted to be her friend because they were too afraid not to be or because they wanted to be in good favor with the family.

Just as Naruto had been, Sayo was utterly alone.

She hadn't done anything, but everyone knew the family and expected the same from her.

Naruto hadn't done anything, but everyone knew about the fox sealed inside him and expected him to be the same as the beast dwelling below the surface.

They were different. Their backgrounds weren't exact, but Naruto could tell that they were similar. He understood Sayo's pain.

"That's why I can't believe she's behind this. She wouldn't do this." Naruto believed it with all his heart. He knew Sayo was innocent.

"If not her, then her brothers. Or mother."

Shikamaru had to intervene. "We can look at their treatment of the people and anything that touched them in two different ways. Either they know something or they don't. That's not important right now."

"It is if we want to find the culprit," said Kiba. "We find who did it, we find how he did it, and then we find a cure. That's how it works."

"Finding the one responsible would be helpful in finding a cure, but I'm afraid that takes a backseat to what we need to do now, and that's protecting those people inside the warehouse," said Shikamaru.

"So what's the plan?"

Shikamaru pointed to each member of the group. "Someone needs to stay near the warehouse. The noble family's already seen me and Naruto's group. They haven't seen you three, so Hinata, Kiba or Shino will stay near the warehouse and report if anything happens. Naruto, Sakura and I will retrace Sai's steps from the other day. He must have been infected at one of those locations. That will narrow our search for the cause. Anyone who isn't watching the warehouse, fan out to see what's going on with the rest of the village. Shino, try to keep an eye on the members of the noble family. Make sure they don't do anything to jeopardize the people in that warehouse."

"Right."

"We'll meet up soon."

Everyone went their separate ways.

"Did we really have to follow them around to see where they took Sai and those people?" asked Naruto. "Hinata has the Byakugan. She could have looked for a whole bunch of people held up somewhere in this village. We didn't need to sneak around and spy like that."

"What if they were held in a place Hinata couldn't see?" asked Sakura. "There are some things the Byakugan can't see through."

"Then you look in the place you can't see knowing that's got to be it."

"Even if we did that," said Shikamaru, "it still won't tell us how they're getting the people inside. We wouldn't have learned about them removing the needles from their bodies if we searched after the fact. What if they said something important? We needed to spy that way, Naruto. It's not just about finding them."

"We're supposed to save them," said Naruto. "If you and I both know that, why are we moving further away from the warehouse?"

"I already explained that we have to find out what caused this first then make an antidote once we locate the serum or whatever it is that Sai was infected with."

"But if they stay there and the noble family moves in… Why don't we move the herd of infected people to a new location? We'll keep them together and they'll be somewhere the Arashi clan can't find them."

"Where?" asked Sakura. "That warehouse is the biggest building in this village we've seen so far and we don't know how many people are in there. It could be fifty, it could be two hundred. You think we can wrangle all them by ourselves? Besides, where would be move them to? A second warehouse? Go ahead and find one."

"We're going to stall the noble family," said Shikamaru. "Don't worry. We're not going to let them hurt Sai. We won't let them kill anyone in that warehouse."

Naruto wasn't satisfied, worried that they would fail. The Arashi clan didn't listen to reason most of the time. Naruto doubted they would halt the execution simply because Naruto's friends asked nicely. They could fight the noble family, but just three of them managed to cripple almost an entire village of ninja. Now the six of them had to take on the entire clan on their own turf. Those weren't good odds. Naruto was always confident, but even he doubted they could win.

Then again, the clan didn't know ninja had come to their village. Naruto's group did have the element of surprise. The clan also hadn't met Hinata, Kiba or Shino. Not even in the village since they had been away on a mission. Perhaps they could take on the noble family and win. At the very least, they could stall them.

"Ok," said Shikamaru. "When you guys came to the village with Sai, aside from the noble's manor, where did you go?"

"The zoo."

"Anywhere else?"

"We wandered around the street for a bit, but we spent most of the time at the zoo. Then we went to the noble's house. They attacked us. Sai got cut. We ran down the street and we happened upon a doctor who treated Sai's wound. After that we left."

"Sounds like we need to narrow our search to the zoo, the noble's manor and the doctor's office. Once we've gone to all those places, we'll retrace your steps through the streets."

"You think Sai might have gotten infected at the zoo?" asked Sakura. "We spent most of our time there. And a lot of people in the village go there. It would explain how so many people got infected. But the zookeeper said it wasn't open to the public when we visited. The noble's home is another good guess, but since the people are terrified of the noble family, I don't see too many people going there."

"See?" said Naruto. "The noble family couldn't have done it."

"The noble family also walks around the village. Since we don't know how the people were infected, we can't rule anything out. Or anyone. For all we know, someone could have dumped it in the people's drinking water or something."

"Then it really could be anyone."

Shikamaru knew that was a possibility. It could have been anyone in the village. Someone other than the obvious suspects. A good way to narrow it down was to uncover possible motives. If there was an intended target or if this truly was random. It could have been a child's prank or it could have been someone with a grudge.

No one in the noble family had been infected, so they were certainly under suspicion. However, if the noble family wasn't involved, then, considering none of them had been infected, it must have been someone who hated the noble family. In light of how the majority of the village viewed them, it really could have been anyone.

"Let's head to the zoo first," said Shikamaru. "Show me everywhere you went in order. Let's narrow this down."

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	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13:**

The walk over to the metal gates of the zoo was extremely easy. The stone wall holding up the metal gate offered them some cover but since there was no one around it necessity was called into question. The gates were wide open, welcoming them, but the eerie quiet was warning them to stay away.

Sakura looked around the corner first. There was no one in sight and the door to the main building was closed. She gestured for the others to follow and they hurried over to the main entrance. She turned the knob and Naruto dashed inside. Sakura and Shikamaru looked around before entering after him.

The building was dark and quiet. The only source of light was emanating from the animal habitats behind glass. The lights above them weren't lit, leaving their path condemned to shadow.

They walked slowly down the hall, peering at the habitats lining the walls. Several were empty.

"Before only a couple of these enclosures were empty," whispered Sakura. "Now more than half of them are."

"Yeah," breathed Naruto. "What happened to all the animals?"

They followed the hall to the door leading to the outdoor exhibits. Sakura looked out the rectangular window before opening the door. They walked down the wooden path and across a small footbridge. They entered another building, walked through, and went back outside.

"I haven't seen any workers," said Naruto. "Or that zookeeper guy. Shouldn't he be here?"

"Unless he got infected, too. Same for the workers."

Naruto looked around at all the animal enclosures, hoping someone would be able to take care of all these trapped creatures. If no one was around to take care of them, the animals would surely starve. Perhaps Sayo would be able to do it. She helped the zookeeper take care of the animals before. Even if something had happened to the zookeeper and his fellow workers, she should be able to take over for them and fulfill all their regular duties. She loved the animals.

"Do you know where his office is?" asked Shikamaru.

"I'm not sure," said Naruto. "A lot of these places were off limits. It could be behind any of those doors marked 'private' or in that small building there." He pointed to what looked like a shed in the distance.

Shikamaru shrugged. "Have to start somewhere. Let's go to that one and look around."

They all went to the small building Naruto pointed out. It was a concession stand with a locked icebox and cold grill. The interior was clean, leading them to believe no one had used this station for the past couple of days. Hard to get customers when the majority of the population were suffering from a mysterious infection.

Shikamaru told them to branch out from there and look behind any door that was off limits to the public. They would cover more ground if they split up.

They all went in a different direction, unsure of what they were looking for. Most of the doors were locked, but a few were open. Either these doors didn't lock or someone left in a hurry before they had a chance to lock it. If that was the case, the group automatically assumed it was on account of the infection. Perhaps the workers were starting to show signs and attacked their colleagues. Or perhaps the ones who were supposed to lock up were the ones infected and never got around to it before going berserk.

Most of the open offices were littered with papers and keys. They had pictures of different animals on the walls and labeled with their given names. Some rooms had charts mounted on the wall with feeding and cleaning schedules. Some charts had things marked off where others didn't. The zoo must have had a system the young ninja knew little about. Very few of this made any sense to them.

Sakura noticed a sign-in sheet pinned to the wall of the office she was in. Most of the names on the sheet were the zookeeper's along with several coworkers, but there was one name that stuck out to her. Two days ago, Sayo had signed her name on the sheet indicating that she had gone into one of the enclosures for some reason.

Sakura moved the papers pinned above the sign-in sheet aside so she could read what this chart was for.

It wasn't for going into an enclosure as she suspected. It was for entering one of the labs.

Sakura looked from the sign-in sheet to the four walls of the office. There were two doors, one of which brought her inside. Where did the second door lead to? Sakura opened the door expecting to find a laboratory, but it was just a file room filled with filing cabinets.

Now this sheet seemed out of place. Why would they have a sign-in sheet for a laboratory visit if the laboratory wasn't located in this building? It didn't make sense. Either someone misplaced the sheet or something else was going on.

In the next building, Shikamaru was snooping around a small office with very little in it. There was only one desk and no chairs. Hooks lined the wall in front of him but held nothing. On the walls were maps and pictures of the animals in captivity. There was a door right in front of the one he had just entered from. Curious, Shikamaru opened it. This door held to a narrow hallway with more hooks on the walls but these hooks held different sized lab coats.

He saw another door straight ahead from where he stood. Next to the door was a sign-in sheet with numerous names on it. Two days ago, Sayo had written her name on the sign-in sheet.

Shikamaru tried to open the door but this one was locked. It was time to use some of his ninja skills to open it. He looked at the handle of the door, hoping to pick the lock, but there was no keyhole to pick. Only a narrow slit just above the handle no larger than the side of a card. A keycard? He hadn't run into too many of those before. This zoo was using technology the Leaf Village scarcely required. Thankfully he had seen these before on other missions so he was able to recognize it on sight.

Unfortunately, he also knew that this would be harder to get around. He couldn't use tools to pick it and he didn't want to break the door down. Not just because they were supposed to be sneaking around or even because the door was probably reinforced and would be difficult to break down, but he was worried about triggering an alarm.

Although, a keycard was only required to grant access. It wasn't needed if someone on the inside wanted to leave.

Shikamaru knelt on the floor and summoned his shadow. It quivered and stretched under the door. On the other side, it rose off the ground and reached up to grab the handle. Shikamaru watched the handle rattle and turn. With his shadow acting as a hand, it managed to open the door for him. Shikamaru quickly grabbed the handle on his side before the door could swing shut and let his shadow slither back into place.

He slipped inside the dark room, closing the door gently behind himself. He flipped the light switch on the wall and the lights above him flickered on.

It was a lab. It wasn't very extensive but it had all the usual tools. Plenty of tables, filing cabinets and so much more.

He picked up different files and opened them. He looked at different charts, reading their secrets. He opened a filing cabinet and studies the labels inside. These were of the different animals. Each drawer was labeled for the particular habitat they lived in and the kind of animal the files inside held. He had opened the drawer labeled 'mammals'. There were other drawers that said 'tropical' above the word 'mammals' and other drawers on adjacent cabinets labeled 'reptiles'. He wasn't sure which 'mammal' drawer he had opened, but he wasn't interested at the moment, certain he would find out once he read the files.

"Hyena?" Shikamaru said, pulling out one of the folders. The folder was about a captive hyena named 'Spotty'. It was male and brought in from the wild roughly five years ago according to its chart. It had a brief history underneath the name and how the workers went about introducing it to its new life in captivity. It was quarantined for several weeks then introduced to the female in captivity in small doses before finally allowing him to be in the same enclosure. The male showed aggressive behavior in the beginning but soon got used to the workers and enjoys being with others of its kind. However, it still shows aggressive behavior towards humans if one comes into its cage. It is now accustomed to visitors so there is no need to remove it from its enclosure.

From what Shikamaru read, it seemed that the Hyena was used to having people looking at it from a distance, such as any visiting child or any zoogoer. However, it was only aggressive if a human got too close to it. In its cage. It was territorial. Shikamaru assumed any animal ripped from the wild would be, especially towards humans.

According to the animal's history, humans rescued it from the wild because it wasn't thriving. It didn't have a pack and was wandering on its own when poachers attacked it. It was rescued just in time and brought to the zoo where it would be safe. The hyena even put on some weight in captivity, but healthy weight. It was underfed in the wild because it couldn't hunt very well on its own. It seemed to Shikamaru that the humans who brought it to the zoo saved its life and had done a good thing, but the animal didn't seem to know that. It must have thought after being attacked by humans that all humans were dangerous. It was also away from home and probably scared. At least, in the beginning. Now it was comfortable living here as long as humans didn't get too close.

On the next page was the animal's health charts. The hyena was in pretty good health and had regular checkups. It was recently seen last month for a blood test and everything was normal. It wasn't due for another test for six months.

Shikamaru put the folder back and looked at several others. They all followed the same set-up. The animal's name, its history, its health and all its checkups. The monkeys, the bears, the crocodiles, the lynx, the water buffalo, the wolves. Everything fell into place and nothing was out of the ordinary.

Shikamaru put everything back and closed the filing cabinet. He wandered around to see if there was anything left over from past exams. The test tubes were clean and stacked neatly on shelves. Eyedroppers were recently washed and put away. Shikamaru couldn't find any containers with blood in them. Once this lab tested something, they cleaned up and disposed of anything that wasn't needed. This lab was doing what it was supposed to be doing. They didn't keep anything after it was tested and recorded the results.

Anything cooked up in this lab was no longer here, if it was at all. The only other place to search was the animal hospital. The zoo vet probably had a lot of occupied test tubes he could look at. It was the only other place that made sense to search.

Shikamaru left the lab exactly as he found it and made sure the door was sealed behind him after he left.

When he arrived at the animal hospital, he was pleased to see Sakura and Naruto there as well.

"Find anything?" he asked.

"I don't get what we're looking for," complained Naruto.

"I question the system of this place," said Sakura. "I just found a chart in a different building that didn't seem to belong there."

"How do you mean?"

"It was a sign-in sheet for a lab but the lab wasn't in that building."

"It's possible that they have several sign-in sheets to make sure no one over medicates the animals or over feeds them," said Shikamaru. "The charts must be there for everyone to look at so they know who's doing what."

"I suppose so."

Curious, Shikamaru asked, "What was the chart about?"

"It was a sign-in sheet for one of the labs, like I said."

"Did the sheet have a space for the reason someone would be going there?"

Sakura turned around. "As a matter of fact, it did. The reason I remember is because Sayo had signed her name to it so it stuck out to me."

"Sayo's name?" said Shikamaru. "I just came from the lab and her name was on that sign-in sheet, too. What was her reason for going to the lab?"

"Something about a sample for an animal named Spotty."

"Spotty? The hyena?"

"You know what this is about?"

Shikamaru had to ask one more question. "How long ago did she do this? When did she sign her name?"

"Two days ago, according to the sheet."

This was troubling. "Sayo had no business to be doing anything with that hyena two days ago. I saw its chart and it had everything taken care of a month ago and didn't need anything else for six months."

"Then why would she be there? Why would she be doing anything with that animal?"

"Nothing good, that's for sure. It's certainly suspicious."

"Even if it is, it doesn't mean she did anything wrong," Naruto said from the other side of the room. "I'm telling you, she had nothing to do with this."

"The clues are all pointing to her, Naruto. She has to be involved somehow."

"You're wrong. I know Sayo wouldn't do this."

"You've known her for, what, a day? And you think you know what she's all about?" Sakura put her hands on her hips. "Naruto, she…"

"She didn't do it. I know it. Someone in her position… she wouldn't. Even if she could, she wouldn't."

Naruto would not waver. In his heart he knew someone like Sayo would not do this. He believed in her even if no one else did.

"Besides," Naruto added, "why would she sign her name on anything? She doesn't work here, so she doesn't have to. Everything she does is on a whim. Putting her name on those sign-in sheets doesn't make sense to me."

Sakura realized Naruto had a point. "You're right. Someone as free-spirited as her… Why would she do that? Her family also doesn't know she comes here all the time, do they? I thought she said something about them not knowing what she does in her free time. The brothers used to go then stopped but Sayo continued to come here."

"If that's the case, signing her name on anything won't matter much," said Shikamaru. "If her family doesn't come here, it's unlikely for anyone of them to see the sign-in sheets. Even if they did, the sheets aren't available to the public. They wouldn't see them anyway."

"Good point. So there's no risk if she does or doesn't."

"So then why would she?"

Shikamaru shrugged again. "You said she does things on a whim. Maybe she just felt like it one day. Who knows?"

Sakura sighed. "Someone as unpredictable as her is going to be hard to read. Just when you think you have her figured out, she does something else."

"If that's the case, then the things that point her towards being the culprit could all be wrong. It could mean nothing at all," said Naruto. "What's suspicious behavior to you is normal behavior to her and the other people who live here and are used to it. Right?"

Sakura nodded. "I see your point. Even if she looks good for this, we could have it wrong. If she's outlandish to begin with, how would we know if it's strange behavior for her or not? We're too focused on her. Even if the pieces fit, we could be missing the bigger picture. We have to widen our search."

Shikamaru nodded his head. "We'll ignore Sayo for now. Even if what we find points to her, we'll see if it fits with anybody else. I don't want to miss who the real culprit is any more than you do."

Naruto was pleased to hear this. Finally, they were looking elsewhere.

"Did you guys find anything here?" Shikamaru asked.

"There are some missing needles and glass tubes." Sakura pointed to a shelf with several missing items. The medical cabinet behind her held several glass tubes used for storing blood, but not every slot was filled. Some were missing.

"I just came from the lab and I saw several test tubes and things in there that had been washed," said Shikamaru. "I think whatever's missing here could have been sent to the lab already and haven't come back yet."

"True." As someone in the medical field, Sakura knew it wasn't uncommon to be missing a few things here and there. Not every last thing could be accounted for, especially on a busy day. If something had been sent to the lab for testing, it could account for the missing supplies. They simply hadn't come back yet.

"Do we move on?" Naruto asked.

"We have to check on the others and make sure nothing has taken place with the warehouse while we were searching," said Shikamaru, convinced they weren't going to find anything here.

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14:**

They were on their way back to the warehouse when something across the street caught their attention. They quickly stopped and hid behind a building.

The noble family manor was directly across from them and the head of the house was coming down the stairs looking furious.

"Where have you been?" she demanded angrily. "I have two guards positioned outside my home at all times and what do I find when I look outside? One! Where were you?"

The guard at the foot of the steps spun around while the other remained where he was, holding a spear.

"I… I just…" he quivered in the presence of the mother of the noble family.

"Speak while I still permit it."

The guard swallowed. "I thought I saw movement so I went to check it out."

"It took you several minutes to do this?"

"With the noble family being up and about, I thought it best that I not be too careful, Milady."

She eyed the man suspiciously. "Do not leave your post again without permission unless you are positive what you have seen is a threat to our family. I will not have you chasing a leaf blowing in the breeze simply because you mistook it for a threat. Be certain of what you see before you move."

"Yes, Milady."

Sukiyumi descended the staircase. "Be at your posts when I return. I must see to my sons who have not yet come back."

"Yes, Milady," both said in unison.

"She's going to the warehouse," hissed Naruto.

"Then let's get there first."

The trio hurried to the warehouse where Hinata was still standing guard. When she told them nothing had transpired, they told her that something was about to. The brothers were not guarding the warehouse and she wasn't sure where they had gone, unwilling to overuse her Byakugan to search for them.

The head of the noble family arrived and studied the warehouse doors. After making sure it was secure, she looked around the side of the building. She walked in a full circle around it and stopped at the front. She looked very upset.

"They must have returned by now. Don't tell me that ninja village is giving them a hard time."

She waited where she was for several minutes, then turned and went back the way she came.

"What is she waiting around for them for?" asked Naruto. "Were they supposed to report to her or something?"

"Must be."

"But if they haven't, then where are they? And what are they doing?"

"Do you think they're disposing of those needles they used on the people?" asked Hinata. "Maybe they're still doing that."

"Either way, she looks pissed."

Shikamaru looked at the warehouse. "Hinata, which direction did Shino go in? I have an idea."

Hinata used her Byakugan to tell Shikamaru exactly where Shino was. They went to his location and found him using his bugs to spy on the brothers who had gone inside a building Naruto and Sakura recognized.

"That's where that doctor mended Sai's wound," said Sakura. "Akihiro was his name. Why would the brothers be in there?"

"I haven't seen the doctor," said Shino. "He might be one of the people infected and the brothers have taken over his place of business. They haven't come out for some time."

"What are they doing in there?" asked Naruto.

"I don't know the details, but my bugs are keeping an eye on them. I haven't called them back because I don't want to miss anything. Once the brothers emerge, I'll find out more."

"Speaking of your bugs, I have a request," said Shikamaru. "I want to take a look inside the noble's manor, but sneaking around is too risky based on what I've heard. In addition to being ruthless, the noble family's skills are on par with a ninja's in a number of ways. I witnessed those skills when they invaded the Leaf, so I know snooping around isn't a good idea. Guards or not; noble family being home or not."

"You want me to send my bugs in for you because they are least likely to be detected." Shino wasn't asking. He knew this was what Shikamaru wanted.

It was a good idea. No one would suspect a bug. As long as Shino kept the numbers low, they should be able to invade the noble's manor without arousing suspicion.

"Can you have them look for something in particular?" asked Shikamaru.

"Depending on what it is, yes."

"Even if Sayo is not involved, her family might be. I want you to send your bugs in to look for anything suspicious. We know the infection is man-made, so that should narrow down your search."

"My bugs are able to recognize toxins and different poisons. If the serum that caused this infection is anything like that, they'll be able to find it without much issue. Since it's man-made, like you said, that will narrow down the search. If they come across something they've never encountered before but know it's dangerous, that will most likely be the culprit."

"It might be better for us to use Shino's bugs for this since we have no idea what we're looking for and it might be hidden inside something harmless."

"Should we also send them back to the zoo for us?" asked Sakura. "We didn't find much, but the bugs might be able to find something we overlooked."

Shikamaru shook his head. "I doubt it. While we might have overlooked something there, I don't think the cause of this illness would be hidden there. At least, not in the places we were looking. I figured the best place to hide something would be in plain sight. It's not like they would mark it 'poison' or something, but if they hid it in a container labeled something harmless, it would be a good hiding place. However, given what goes on at the zoo, I don't think the person who did this would do that just in case some unwitting vet uses the mislabeled poison by accident. I don't think they would want to risk someone using it by mistake. Therefore, I think the person who did this, has it with them or in a place where only they would go."

"Makes sense."

"We could always go back to the zoo later. Right now, let's widen our search. Let's check out the noble family and see if someone other than Sayo is involved. If we don't find anything there, we move on to the next place. Let's take care of all the obvious places first, then cover everywhere else."

Shino followed the group back to the noble's manor and hid behind the stone wall fencing in their yard. Shino was going to use his bugs sparsely, sending in only a few at a time rather than a swarm which would be more obvious.

They waited for the bugs to find something.

"Will you know when they do?" asked Naruto.

"Rarely does that happen," confessed Shino. "I'll know when they report back to me. Think of them as my scouts rather than a clone of myself, in this case. If it were a clone, that would be different."

"If it were a bug clone, would it work the same as a regular clone?"

"Basically. Since you have taken a sudden interest in me, I must say I…"

Naruto turned his head the other way, now talking to the rest of the group. "Do you really think Sayo's family could be involved? They're really more like warriors. Someone who came up with something like this would be more of a scientist, don't you think?"

"People can have hobbies," said Sakura. "It's possible they do things other than fight just like we do. And just because they can fight doesn't mean they can't think, too."

"I guess you're right. I just didn't peg them that way."

They waited several minutes.

"Do you think your bugs will be able to detect it if it's there?" Naruto asked Shino, who answered him darkly.

"Now you want my opinion?"

"If it's not here, will they know that?"

"It's possibly that they…" Shino stopped speaking. After a long pause, Shino recalled his insects which fled the house and returned to their living hive.

"What's wrong? Were they spotted?"

"Yes, but I think we're safe."

The door to the manor flew opened. "Were one of you ingrates snacking and dropped food on the ground?" came the mother's irritated voice.

"No, Milady."

"There are so many annoying bugs in my house, they must have come from somewhere. I've already ordered the kitchen staff to search for crumbs. I won't have a trail leading those nasty things into my home."

Shino's eye twitched.

"I'll be looking for my sons. See that no one and nothing enters while I am gone. If my sons return while I'm out, tell them to remain here. I will not be chasing them anymore after this."

"Yes, Milady."

"Back to the warehouse?" asked Sakura.

"Yup."

As they rushed back to the warehouse, Shino hurriedly told them that his bugs had not found anything incriminating, but they had yet to search the whole property.

When they arrived at the warehouse, the brothers were also on their way from the other side of the street. Naruto's group hid and the brothers and mother walked towards each other from opposite ends of the street. They met in front of the warehouse, staring at each other.

"You've returned, I see," said their mother. "Have you retrieved the infected ninja?"

"Yes, Mother."

"And he is detained?"

"Yes, Mother."

"Any issues?"

"No, Mother. The leader of the ninja village surrendered him once we explained the situation."

Naruto clenched his fists. "Only because you lied, you…"

Sakura covered his mouth.

"Where is Sayo?"

"She remained behind for a short time, Mother. We went ahead without her. She will catch up shortly."

"She was picking up the pieces, mother. The ninja did put up a fight. Once we explained the situation, the stopped the attack. But we were all unharmed in the battle. If you had given us permission to kill, there would have been no fight."

"But the ninja might see it as an act of war," said their mother. "I do not wish to quarrel with a ninja village nor any village for that matter. We do not strike first. If we are attacked, we go all out. By attacking others first would be war mongering. I shall have no such thing. It would just breed more battles. Unnecessary ones."

Her two sons bowed their heads. "Yes, Mother."

Their mother looked behind her, up the road. "Sayo will be on the lookout for any other ninja showing symptoms, no doubt. There was only the one when you arrived?"

"Their leader said that one ninja alone was infected. There were no others. We made sure of it."

Their mother sighed. "As a leader, I doubt she would want her own village to suffer. I shall take her word for it."

Sukiyumi eyed the warehouse. The mass of people inside sounded like the buzzing of bees from the other side of the thick walls. She looked away from the warehouse and back at her sons.

"It did not take you all this time to return," she said pointedly. "There is no crate with you and your weapons are missing. What's become of them?"

The boys knew better than to lie to their mother. She would know whether they were lying or not for starters, so it was better not to cover anything up with a tale of fiction. Not to this woman.

"We wanted to contain the illness, so we disposed of them, Mother."

"It should have been a simple task. What kept you?" She looked at both sons. "Kado?"

Kado, after taking a moment, sighed and told the truth. "Before disposing of the needles, I kept them contained safely and brought them to the local doctor's office to examine them myself. Though he was unable to come up with an antidote, I believed I could succeed where he failed. I wore gloves and a mask. I burned the needles after I-"

Sukiyumi slapped Kado across the face.

The sound was so loud it made Naruto's own face sting.

Kado put a hand to his cheek and gave his mother a wide-eyed expression. "For- forgive me, Mother."

"Don't waste your time," she said firmly. "Enough of this experimenting and pipedreams. If even the local physician could do nothing, what makes you think you could do any better? We are handling this a different way. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Mother."

"Since we cannot cure it, we must eradicate it. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Mother."

Naruto looked from Kado to Sukiyumi. He felt sorry for Kado and angry at Sukiyumi. He was only trying to help the people, but since his mother had given up, she felt he should as well. What a cruel woman.

He wanted to hit her back after watching her strike Kado like that. It was all Naruto could do to stay where he was. No matter what, he could not blow his cover. Then his friends would be found and who knew what would happen after that? He had to control himself.

Sukiyumi looked at the warehouse. "Since any attempts at a cure have been unsuccessful, we must handle this ourselves. We must eliminate the threat entirely. The most effective way to do that would be to burn it away. That's the best way to get rid of infection of any kind."

Naruto didn't like the sound of this. He was almost in full panic mode when he heard her say it aloud.

"Set it ablaze. Burn the warehouse with the infected people inside."

Even Sakura couldn't hold back her gasp. "No."

"Let's be sure to contain it," Sukiyumi continued. "We don't want the fire to spread. Keep it to the warehouse only. Let's make plans and gather supplies. They're not going anywhere."

"Yes, Mother."

The noble family left together to arrange what was going to happen next while Naruto's group scrambled to make plans of their own.

"We can't let them do this!"

"You're right, Naruto. But we have to be smart about this. We can't let those people out. That will create more problems. As long as we keep them from touching the warehouse, their plan won't happen. The best way we can keep those people safe is to keep the noble family away from them."

Naruto looked at the warehouse. Sai was still in there. Now that he knew the noble family's plans, he was more desperate to get him out of there than ever.

"Shino, do you still have bugs on those two brothers?" asked Shikamaru.

"They're being tracked as we speak. I know exactly where they are and the rest of my bugs will be able to find them."

"I'll be able to spot them, too," added Hinata.

"Good," said Shikamaru. "We need to keep track of where those guys are at all times. We can't let them near that warehouse. But this is just a stalling tactic right now. It's not a solution. We still have to find out whatever did this so we can get a cure."

"Kiba and Akamaru are still sniffing around the village," said Hinata. "Maybe they found something."

"We'll have to fill them in on what's going on. Naruto, you can use one of your clones to message… Naruto?" Shikamaru looked around but he wasn't there. "Naruto!"

* * *

Who thinks he's about to do something stupid?

Please review! ^-^


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15:**

He couldn't stand by and wait any longer. He just couldn't. He knew it probably wasn't the brightest move he was about to make, but he had to do something. He just couldn't leave Sai in there anymore.

Releasing all those people at once was a bad idea, but Naruto was certain he could handle one person at a time, especially if it was his friend. He would come back for the rest later. He just had to focus on Sai for now.

Naruto ran around to the side of the warehouse and used his chakra to help him climb to the roof. He couldn't see anything through the cloudy windows. He hoped Shikamaru was right and there was some platform he could land on inside. Naruto selected a window and pried it open. It had a latch on it. These windows were meant to be opened.

He opened it and was immediately met with a loud buzzing noise. Naruto couldn't see anyone, but he did see a metal platform directly below the open window. Thankful Shikamaru was correct, Naruto jumped straight down, closing the window as he descended.

His feet hit the metal with a clang but it was barely audible over the noise. People moaning and snarling and growling and screeching and roaring and whining and yipping. All the sounds blended together to just form noise. That's all it was to Naruto's ears: noise. It wasn't as loud as Naruto thought it would be. It was about the same noise level as a busy festival or a busy indoor market. The high ceiling really did help keep the noise at a tolerable level. It would have echoed more if it hadn't been for the sheer abundance of people and supplies.

Naruto went to the railing and looked over the side.

There were more people than he could count. Dozens and dozens, no, more than that. He couldn't see the floor, the people were packed so tightly together. All he saw were heads and bodies. Not everything had been removed from the warehouse, it seemed. Naruto saw crates pressed against the walls. Some people were attempting to climb them but it was too high and there was nothing for them to grab on to. Their hands would just slide down the side of the crates with every attempt.

No one seemed to notice him yet. Naruto didn't want to alert them by shouting, but he wasn't sure how else to find him.

Naruto stood where he was and searched for Sai in the massive crowd. His eyes scanned the walls and the area nearest the only door. He looked and looked but he couldn't see him. He looked at the scaffolding he stood on, noticing that it ran along three of the four walls. Naruto didn't want to move from where he was yet, afraid of drawing too much attention. If he couldn't find Sai from here, then he would move. Maybe he was under the platform he stood on.

There were so many people. Even if he searched all day, he might not find him. It seemed that hopeless. It didn't help that the people were moving around. Not very quickly because of the close space, but they were being shoved around so much and some were just wading through the sea of people. Naruto hoped Sai wasn't on the ground being trampled.

Pale skin and dark hair, pale skin and dark hair. Several people had dark hair. Some had their backs turned so Naruto couldn't tell. It was like finding a needle in a haystack.

Finally, he spotted him. Sai was in the middle of the crowd with a dazed look on his face. Those who weren't making a racket looked dazed, too. With no one to attack, maybe the infected people grew docile.

Since Sai wasn't looking at him, Naruto had to get his attention somehow. He tried waving his arms but Sai didn't look. He banged against the railing with his hand. Finally, he tried calling his name. Sai didn't take notice of him, but other people did and starting making noise. Even those who had been dazed moments ago were now growling and glaring at the boy above them.

"Sai, up here! Sai!"

How was he going to get him out of here? Getting Sai's attention was pointless if he had no way to reach him.

Naruto looked around for something he could use. There were no ladders and no ropes. The scaffolding he stood on was only connected to the upper level. There was no path to the main floor where Sai and the countless other people stood. The doors were sealed and locked up tight. The windows were too high for any of them to reach. No stairs, no open doors.

Getting an idea, Naruto ran across the scaffolding to get closer to where Sai stood. "Sai!" he called. "Sai!"

He stood among all the people herded together like cattle. Some gave lower growls while others did nothing. The people were limited by their sheer numbers in a confined space. There was no room for any of them to gain enough momentum to run anywhere. This was good in the sense that they couldn't jump onto the scaffolding to attack Naruto, but this also meant that Sai's mobility was also limited.

"Sai!" Naruto called again. He leaned over the support railing and shouted down to him. "Sai!"

He turned his head and looked up at the voice. Several people did the same thing. Sai looked like he didn't know where he was.

"Sai!"

His eyes started to light up with more energy and he turned his body to face Naruto. He heard him. He saw him.

Naruto summoned up several clones to aid him in what happened next. Since the scaffolding was so high off the ground, there was no way for Naruto to reach Sai without a rope. Since there was nothing around resembling a rope, Naruto decided to turn himself into one.

He lifted himself up and sat on the metal bar. One clone hugged him around the middle and a second clone hugged the first. Naruto let himself drop over the railing. The clones held on to each other, turning themselves into a living rope.

Naruto dangled overhead and looked around for Sai who hadn't moved. The crowd started to converge under Naruto, reaching up with their arms, raising their voices. The crowd shoved and knocked Sai around as they came closer to the intruder.

"Sai!" Naruto shouted over them.

Sai kept his eyes on Naruto.

Naruto thrust a hand out over the crowd. "Take my hand!"

Sai did not comply.

"Sai!" Naruto begged. "If you can understand me, please! Please, take my hand!"

Sai did not reach for his hand, but he did take a few small steps forward.

"Please!"

He had to save him. He couldn't let Sai die. Not like this.

It wasn't his fault. Sai didn't know what he was doing. He wasn't a monster. All this time, Naruto had blamed Sai, thinking he was doing it on purpose, but it wasn't his fault. He couldn't help it. Now Naruto was blaming himself. If only he had realized it sooner. Of only he had helped Sai before instead of lashing out at him. He thought Sai was just being ignorant as usual.

He had to let Sai know he wasn't angry at him. He wanted to let Sai know it was ok. That even now he was here for him. He had to save him.

"Sai!" Naruto stretched out his arm. "Please!"

Sai moved forward, eyes on the hand offered to him.

"I'm going to get you out of here!"

Sai pushed his way through the crowd, getting closer. He shoved people aside, moving faster.

"That's it! That's it, Sai!" Naruto stretched. "Take my hand!"

Sai made a grab for it, but he was too far away. The clones lowered Naruto a little more but it wasn't enough. If they lowered him any further, the crowd would rip him apart. Naruto had to stay above them, even if it kept Sai out of his reach.

It was up to him now. Sai had to make up for where Naruto fell short.

"Reach!" Naruto stretched as far as he could and a woman yanked on his sleeve. Naruto shook her off and leaned closer to Sai. More and more people were making grabs for his arm, but he managed to keep them from getting too close. "Sai, reach!"

Picking up the pace, Sai shoved more people out of his way. He knocked one person to the ground and stood on their back.

"Take my hand!" Naruto cried. "Sai, take my hand!"

Snarling, Sai jumped from the man's back and onto the shoulders of another. That gave him the extra boost he needed. He stretched out his arm and clasped Naruto's hand.

"That's it!" Naruto cried out. "Hold on, Sai!"

The clones pulled. Naruto was hoisted away from the crowd, taking Sai with him. He looked like the winning prize in a claw machine. As soon as Naruto felt the metal bar under his legs, he stood on it and, using the strength in his legs, pulled Sai out of the pit of people and into the air.

The last clone popped and Naruto fell back onto the scaffolding, still holding Sai's hand. He didn't let go until Sai planted both feet on the same scaffolding. He dropped to his knees and hunched over.

Naruto gave a sigh of relief. He did it. He saved Sai.

With a roar, Sai threw himself on top of Naruto and tried to bite him.

"No, Sai! No!" After all this, he still wanted to eat him? He just pulled Sai free and the first thing he did was attack him? This wasn't fair. This wasn't right.

Naruto pushed on Sai's shoulders. Naruto's neck was just out of reach.

"It's me!" Naruto wasn't giving up. Sai protected him before. He knew Sai was still in there. "Sai, it's me! It's Naruto! It's me! Naruto! Remember? Naruto!"

Sai snarled and tried to get to his neck. He didn't seem to be listening.

"Sai! It's me!" Naruto cried. "I'm your friend! Naruto! I'm Naruto! Please, you have to remember! Look at me and you'll know! Sai! Sai!"

Sai stopped struggling. He moved his head down and sniffed Naruto's jacket. He lifted himself up and looked Naruto in the face.

Heart still racing, Naruto nodded his head. "It's me. Naruto. It's Naruto. You know me. I know you do."

Sai stared at him.

He didn't want Sai to bite him. He didn't want to have to hurt Sai in order to protect himself. He knew Sai wasn't doing this by choice. Not his choice. The animal inside him was calling the shots. To the animal, Naruto was food. To Sai, he was a friend. He would never try to eat him.

Now that Sai wasn't trying to bite him, did this mean Sai was back in control? Or was this still the animal within? Naruto couldn't tell.

"Sai?"

He huffed and got off Naruto.

He wasn't going to hurt him.

Naruto sat up and smiled. "Thanks, Sai. I knew you were still in there."

Sai growled, but it wasn't a menacing growl. Sai still lacked the ability to speak. Even the way he sat showed Naruto that he still had the mind of an animal.

There was no way of knowing if Sai stopped attacking because he recognized Naruto or because the animal no longer wished to attack. It was possible the animal side liked him. Perhaps it understood that Naruto was only trying to help him. Or perhaps their bond ran so deep Sai's desires still lingered.

Did Sai simply think he was an animal or was there an animal inside telling him what to do? Did he have two minds or one? There was no way to know.

This made it even harder for Naruto because he didn't know how he was supposed to treat Sai in this state. Should he treat him like an animal he was training or should he treat him like he normally treated him? Did he have to simplify the conversation or could he carry on as normal?

Naruto reached forward and scratched Sai's jawline. He closed his eyes lazily, enjoying it. He rubbed his face against Naruto's palm. He was certainly very animal-like.

Naruto then looked over the railing and saw the mass of people gathered together. "We can't just leave them," he said. "It's not their fault. But I can't just open the door and let them out. They could hurt innocent people. But if they stay here…"

Sai sat and listened to Naruto's ramblings.

"We have to save them." Naruto turned his head. "Right, Sai?"

Sai growled in response.

"Ok. But first, let's get you out of here." Naruto opened the window he had climbed through and gestured for Sai to follow. Sai pounced through the open window and waited for Naruto's next instruction.

The more Naruto observed him, the more it seemed like Sai had the mind of an animal, not that he had a duel personality like he originally thought. Sai thinking he was an animal and having the mind of an animal didn't seem too different from each other so Naruto believed that was the state Sai was in. It must have been one of those two.

"So Sai, if you think you're an animal, raise your right hand. If you think you're a human, raise you left hand."

Sai didn't do either one. Perhaps his understanding of the human language was limited. It looked like Naruto wasn't going to get a definite answer anytime soon.

"Never mind. Just follow me."

Sai did as he was told.

* * *

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	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16:**

Naruto looked over the edge of the roof. It was easy for him to climb down but he wondered about Sai. While he was in this state, he seemed unable to use any ninja skills. Either he couldn't or he didn't remember how. It was a two story drop from here. What if Sai couldn't jump without injuring himself? Naruto would have to carry him down.

"Sai, can you jump down?"

Sai looked at the ground below. He didn't make a move, leading Naruto to believe he couldn't.

"Ok, I'll carry you down." When Naruto moved to put his arm around Sai, he growled and showed his teeth. Naruto backed off. "Ok, ok."

Sai didn't want to be touched. This was going to make things harder.

"Ok. I'll jump down and you follow. Ok?"

Naruto jumped safely to the ground and stood below Sai, holding out his arms.

"Come on, I'll catch you."

Sai looked at him, then flattened himself onto the roof, sunbathing. He wasn't interested in jumping down from his perch.

"For the love of…" Maybe it was a mistake to free Sai from that building. He wasn't listening to a word he was saying. If Sai wasn't willing to take orders, it was going to complicate matters.

Naruto looked around for something to tempt Sai with. Anything Naruto waved at him, whether it was his hands or a stick, Sai paid him no attention. He had to get him down somehow.

Naruto climbed back onto the roof and tried to coax Sai down with his words and pointing his finger at the ground. Sai didn't want to move from that spot no matter what Naruto tried.

Unable to move him any other way, Naruto forcibly lifted him up and jumped from the roof with Sai under his arm. They both landed safely, but Sai tried to bite him as soon as they were on the ground.

"I'm trying to help you, Sai. Don't you realize that?"

Sai growled at him and looked away. Now fascinated by the grass, Sai walked away from the warehouse and wandered aimlessly. He looked at all the different plants he passed by. When he got to a certain spot, he turned around and started walking back the way he came. He was pacing again.

"Sai, we have to get back to the others. But you also have to stay hidden. The noble family won't notice if one person is missing, but they'll notice if they see you because they know what you look like. Know what I'm saying?"

Sai continued to pace.

"You're not listening."

There was no time to waste. They had to move.

"Come on. Let's find the others." Naruto grabbed Sai by the arm and pulled him across the street. Sai didn't growl this time.

Naruto returned to their hiding spot between buildings and looked around for his friends.

"Guys?"

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Shikamaru hissed. He and the others were on the other side of the building. They had changed hiding places.

"I was…"

"Why did you bring Sai along? Why did you get him out of there?"

"I couldn't just leave him."

"Even though he's dangerous in this state? And what about the other people in there?"

"We can go back for them," Naruto reasoned. "I wasn't going to open the door and flood the streets with infected people if that's what you were thinking. Those guys are more dangerous than Sai is. They almost ripped me to shreds. I know better than to let them out in this state."

"And yet you brought Sai."

"He's not as bad and those people. I had to get him out of there. I had to make sure he was safe first. I didn't want to take any chances."

"As opposed to what you're doing now?"

"Naruto, what were you thinking?" asked Sakura.

"I was thinking that it was my fault Sai got in this mess in the first place. If only I had paid more attention instead of assuming he was just being weird and clueless, I would have known something wasn't right. Instead, I let Sai think I didn't care." Naruto looked at the ground. "While he's like this, I don't even know if Sai knows who I am. If he no longer knows who we are, then the Sai who was scared and knew me as a friend faded away thinking I abandoned him."

Sakura's face softened.

"I couldn't leave him there. Whether he knows me or not in this state, I had to show him that I still cared. To tell him how sorry I am that I didn't realize what was going on sooner."

"Naruto, none of us…"

"But I gave him a hard time. You thought to bring him to a doctor and I just said he was being an idiot. What kind of friend am I?" Naruto gave Sakura a serious look. "I wasn't about to leave him in that warehouse with all those people like cattle. I wasn't about to leave him in there and rescue him when it was convenient. As an afterthought or as just another infected person. Of course, I care about what happens to all those other people, but Sai comes first in this case. I had to make sure he was safe first."

"Because he's our friend and you want him to know that. Even if he doesn't understand our words anymore, he might understand the gesture."

Naruto didn't answer her.

Most of the time, Naruto acted upon feelings because his mind could make sense of why he was doing it. It made sense to him, but he rarely ever thought about it. He just knew in his heart what was right. It didn't require thinking. He didn't have to reason or explain himself. He understood something without having to think about it.

When it was important.

This was one of those times.

Other people would try to analyze something and break it down in detail. Other people would try to look at the big picture and see every possible outcome to one specific action. Naruto's thinking was comparatively straightforward.

All he knew was that a friend was in danger. In order to get them out of danger, he had to take action. If Sai was in danger by being trapped in a warehouse, then he had to get him out of the warehouse. Never mind the issues that would ensue because of those actions. Never mind the numerous problems and complicated plans and additional planning around an unpredictable teammate. Naruto just wanted him safe. If that complicated matters, then so be it.

He wasn't about to leave a friend to an uncertain demise just to keep a slow-moving plan from falling apart.

As long as Sai was in his sights, Naruto felt relieved. Being unable to see him in that warehouse was part of the issue. He had no idea what sort of condition Sai was in. By his side, Naruto knew and his mind was at ease.

"Can he take orders?" Sakura asked. "You said Sai wasn't as bad as the other people inside. Having him out here with us is going to make things more difficult. If he doesn't listen to us…"

"He understands… to a point."

Shikamaru raised his brow. "To a point?"

"He took my hand when I asked him. But…" Naruto looked at Sai who was looking at a bird flying overhead. "He didn't jump when I told him to."

"Goody."

"What if the noble family shows up and Sai darts out into the street? We can't let them see him," said Sakura.

"I'm sure he'll hide if we tell him to."

"Really?" Sakura gave him a skeptical look.

"Well…" Naruto looked at Sai who was now looking at him. "It comes and it goes. Right now, he seems pretty tame."

Naruto moved his hand slowly over to Sai's head. Sai didn't move while Naruto did this. He even let Naruto pat him on the head without making a fuss.

Sakura watched with fascination as Sai allowed Naruto to touch him without growling at him. Maybe he did recognize them. Even in this state, he knew they were friends.

Sakura reached out her hand to try the same thing, but Sai took one look at her hand and snapped at it. Sakura pulled her hand back but Sai continued to growl at her. He lunged at her and Naruto grabbed his shoulders.

"Easy, Sai. It's ok." Naruto held him back. He could feel the vibrations from Sai's growling in his palms. "It's just Sakura. We're not going to hurt you."

Sai gave another low growl before moving away from her. Sai sniffed Naruto's neck, then turned away.

"Tame my ass."

"He does that sometimes, but he's tame enough."

"That's not tame, Naruto."

"I'm sure it will be fine," Naruto insisted.

A loud clang caused all eyes to fall on Sai who had knocked over a garbage can. He started sifting through the trash but Naruto stopped him.

"Sai, knock it off."

Sai growled and shoved Naruto with his shoulder. He bent over to trashcan and sniffed the debris. When Naruto got closer, Sai snapped at him with his teeth.

"Oh, I get it," said Naruto. "You're hungry. You probably haven't eaten for a while. Hey, guys, do you have any food on you?"

"How could we?" asked Sakura. "You had us all run out of the village before we had time to gather any supplies."

"Oh, right."

Hinata took something out of her coat pocket. "Um, Naruto? Um… I have this if you… if you want." She held out a snack bar with both hands. Since they were just returning from their own mission, Hinata's group still hand supplies on them.

"Thanks, Hinata. Good thinking." Naruto took the bar from her and unwrapped it. "Hey, Sai, look."

Sai looked up.

"Got some rations for you."

Sai moved away from the trash and over to Naruto. He sniffed the bar Naruto offered him and turned up his nose at it.

"What's the matter? It's food, isn't it?" Naruto ate the bar himself so it wouldn't go to waste. "Picky eater."

Sai looked to his right and saw something move. He lowered himself to the ground and started to approach on all fours. A squirrel flicked its tail and Sai bolted. He chased the squirrel up a tree and attempted to climb after it.

"I… I think Sai's only interested in meat," Hinata said timidly.

"That's all he ate when he got back to the village," said Sakura. "He wouldn't touch anything else. Not even tofu and I know he likes that."

"Meat, huh?" Naruto knew if Sai wouldn't eat anything else, then he would have to find Sai some meat before he became desperate and started looking at them as fast food.

Knowing there was a market nearby, Naruto tugged on Sai's clothing and pulled him away from the tree. Sai was unwilling to come at first, then followed Naruto without a fuss.

Naruto went to the local market and found a store with an open sign in the window. When he went in, no one was inside, not even at the counter.

"This place is deserted, too," said Naruto. "I guess things went down too fast for them to change the sign in the window. If this place is empty, I bet the other places are empty, too. I'm not sure how I'm going to find food for you."

Sai was already knocking things off the shelves and opening containers with his teeth. He ripped open a package of deli meats and started eating them.

"Sai, you can't-"

He growled loudly at Naruto, a piece of ham hanging from his lips.

"Ok." Naruto backed off and Sai went back to his feast.

Sai crouched over the display, opening package after package of cooked meats and devoured them all.

While Sai ate, Naruto looked around for something more portable. He found a container of jerky by the register. Thinking he could use this as motivation for Sai, Naruto took it. Unwilling to take it for free, Naruto dug around in his pocket and left a small wad of cash on the counter. He hoped it would be enough to cover the jerky and all the meat Sai was eating.

Naruto looked back and saw Sai slowing down. He was getting pretty full.

"Come on, Sai, let's go."

Sai didn't come.

"Sai, come on."

Sai looked at him, chewing a strip of chicken. After some coaxing, Sai followed Naruto out of the store, still chewing his chicken. He led Sai back to their hiding place. Content with his meal, Sai remained quiet while the group formed a new plan.

"Having Sai around complicates things," said Shikamaru. "Shino is still using his bugs to track the noble family and try to find some evidence. He's gone ahead to fill Kiba in on what we're doing. Hinata, if you can keep an eye on things here, Sakura and I can try to find ways to stall the noble family from coming here. Naruto, you keep an eye on Sai, ok? You brought him here, you deal with him."

"No problem."

"On the plus side, since the illness was man-made, we know it's not contagious."

"There's a plus."

Sai stretched out in the grass and closed his eyes.

Shikamaru studied Sai for a while, thinking. It was fair to assume that Naruto would be unwilling to put Sai back in the warehouse, even though Sai would be easier to keep track of. They would know where he was. Though Sai didn't appear hostile at the moment, he didn't follow commands very well and was unpredictable. The noble family was up and about, as well. This meant the likelihood of them crossing paths was high. Even if he remained here, the noble family might spot him since he was so close to the warehouse.

It seemed to Shikamaru that the best thing to do would be to move Sai away from the area. The noble family thought that they had rounded up every infected person, so they shouldn't be looking for any more. This meant that Sai would be safer away from the warehouse since the family frequently came to that spot. He stood less of a chance of being found anywhere else.

"Naruto, move Sai away from the warehouse. He can't be here when the noble family shows up. They might spot him."

"Where do I take him?"

"Anywhere else," Shikamaru told him. "They haven't found us yet, but Sai's unpredictability makes it more difficult. We can move from our position without being noticed much easier than Sai can. It's too big of a risk having him here. As long as he's away from the warehouse and the manor, he should be fine."

"If they spot Sai, they'll just throw him back in there with the others," said Hinata. "Then Naruto would have rescued him for nothing."

"Even worse, they'll wonder how Sai got out in the first place. If the building walls haven't been breached, they'll know he didn't get out on his own. Even if they assumed that, the noble family will think more infected people got out and will be looking for them. That means we'll be at greater risk of being discovered. Same thing goes for if they think he had help getting out. The noble family will be looking for us. They don't know we're here. Let's keep it that way."

"Agreed."

Shikamaru pointed. "Naruto get him out of here."

"On it." Naruto crawled over to Sai. "Sai, get up. We've got to move."

Sai didn't budge.

"Sai, come on."

Sai refused, wanting to finish his nap where he was.

Naruto pulled on Sai's arm. "Get up." Sai pulled his arm back and tucked it under his chest. Naruto dragged Sai away by his ankles. Sai dug his nails into the earth, leaving long grooves in the dirt. Finally, Sai went limp which made dragging him even harder.

Naruto managed to drag him into the middle of the next street before having to stop. Sai didn't try to move back to his old napping spot and stayed where he was.

He couldn't keep dragging him like this. There had to be an easier way.

Naruto tried tempting him with food, but Sai wasn't interested in the jerky Naruto brought along. He was still full from his meal in the grocery store.

He threw up his hands and picked Sai off the ground. He threw Sai over his shoulder and carried him away.

Shikamaru looked back at Sakura and Hinata. "We can't leave searching for the infection serum to Shino and Kiba alone. We've got a lot of ground to cover. Since the infection originated here, it must be in this village. Sakura, I think you with your medical knowledge should help them out. I'll find a way to keep the noble family from doing anything to the warehouse."

"By yourself?"

"If we have too many people foiling them, they'll know something's up. We have to make the stalling seem natural. I can handle it. Finding a cure is more important. Without it, there's no reason to protect those people. If they can't be returned to normal, then the noble family's actions could be justifiable."

"I get it. But I'm still not sure what to look for."

"Shino's using his bugs and Kiba and Akamaru are using their noses. You can go to any area or building that carries lots of drugs. Read the labels, look at what they've got going on, what they're mixing together. Something. We need to cover our bases. I'll keep them distracted. Hinata, keep watch over that warehouse."

"Got it."

"We can only do this for so long. Let's move."

* * *

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	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17:**

"Anything?" Sakura asked when she and Kiba met up in the village square.

"Akamaru and I found some toxic plants growing in the woods, but I know those plants. They just make you sick. They don't do this."

Shino appeared beside them. "I had my bugs search the doctor's office where the two brothers had gone. I remained with them, but we couldn't find anything. Nothing that couldn't already be identified. If you wanted to take a look, Sakura, you can."

"I'll take your word for it. Once we've searched everywhere else, we can backtrack. What about the noble's manor?"

"I'm still tracking the mother and the two brothers, but I haven't searched their house since our last attempt. They're still at home. I'll have to do it when they leave."

"When I was at the zoo with Naruto and Shikamaru, I noticed a lot of different drugs in the veterinarian's office. There were a few bottles I was unfamiliar with, but all those drugs are used for animals. I study human medicine."

"Kiba, would you be willing to take a look at some of those items when you have the time?" asked Shino.

"My sister knows more about that stuff than I do. Besides, if it was on a shelf, would it really be the thing we're looking for?"

"What better place to hide something than in plain sight?"

"That's what Shikamaru said." Sakura thought a moment. "The only way I can see that working is if the drugs act differently for humans than animals. It's unlikely to start all this, but…"

Shino noticed a bug land on his shoulder. "The noble family is on the move."

"Let's hope Shikamaru can keep them distracted. Shino, now's a good time for you to search their home."

"On it."

"Kiba, you and I will keep looking."

* * *

Hinata left her position to get closer to the warehouse. She could hear the people inside more clearly than she could across the street. Such noise they made. It was almost as if they knew what fate awaited them and were protesting.

So many people.

If this happened to the Leaf Village, what would the Hokage do? Certainly not what the noble family was suggesting. Lady Tsunade would work tirelessly to find a cure for them. Hinata believed she would. Killing all these people was simply barbaric.

Hinata noticed the mother of the noble family coming her way. She was alone. She must not have fallen for Shikamaru's distraction.

If that was the case, then it was up to her to help stall the noble's intentions. The Arashi clan had not seen her yet. They wouldn't know she was with the Leaf.

To keep it that way, Hinata tucked her headband into her sweatshirt.

"What are you doing?" asked Sukiyumi when she saw Hinata in front of the warehouse.

Hinata backed away. "Sorry… Milady." Hinata gave a quick bow to the noblewoman. As long as she thought Hinata was a member of her village, she would be safe. "I was just worried about all the people. Our village is so quiet and so many friends are…"

Sukiyumi looked at the warehouse. "Yes, I'm aware."

"I didn't touch anything, I swear, Milady." Hinata bowed her head again. "Milady, surely there is something you can do. We look to you for everything. Is there nothing that can be done?"

She had to stall. Even the head of the noble family wasn't cruel enough to burn a warehouse with people inside in front of a villager's eyes.

Suikyumi sighed. "Dear girl, I am not a cruel woman. But there is little that can be done. Our search for a cure has been endless. Nothing fruitful has come to fruition."

"Milady…" Hinata gave her a pleading look. She kept her voice quieter than usual, hoping she wouldn't set off the woman.

Sukiyumi looked from Hinata to the warehouse.

"This village is usually so full of sound. I enjoy the quiet, but I must admit this is too much. Our duty as the noble family is to protect this village. You know our intention is to preserve life, yes? To keep others safe from danger. Our duty is to eradicate danger and those who threaten our community and our lives. I'm sorry to say that these people, the people of our village, have become a threat."

Sukiyumi listened to the muffled cries of the people inside, clawing at the door and pounding on the walls.

"The very people we are meant to protect have become a threat. This puts me in a terrible position. But we have a duty to uphold." Sukiyumi turned to Hinata. "Understand that unless something is done, this will spread. If I am too lenient, others will become infected. Those infected will attack others. When that happens, even more will become infected. Soon, the entire village will be consumed. With no one left to fight against this threat, they will venture out to other villages and spread the disease even further. I cannot let that happen. So many innocent villages. I must stop it here. When I got word that a ninja visiting here from another village was showing symptoms, I knew the threat was real and had to be stopped. No other village should have to suffer this."

When Sukiyumi said this, she didn't seem so cruel anymore. She was merely looking out for the people's best interest, even if it made her look like the bad guy.

"Do not hate me for this," she said. "If you do, that is your business. I do not care what you think of me. I am doing this for the good of the village. If I do nothing and it spreads, I will be responsible for allowing a threat to reach other villages. In so doing, I will have created a threat. By not doing what is required, I will be threatening others, and I will not have that."

It seemed to Hinata that Sukiyumi was looking at the bigger picture. From the little she heard about the noble family, they kept the peace. They rose to power generations ago by defeating a threat no one else in the village could combat. It appeared that she was very conscious of what would prompt battle. She feared that a neighboring village would see an attack by an infected person from her village as throwing the first punch and would retaliate. Since none of the infected people have a fever, they just seemed like violent people on the attack. How was an unwitting village to know that these people weren't in control of their actions? How were they to know these people weren't being sent to wage war on them?

Sukiyumi didn't want to court war. She was worried other lands would start something with them. She didn't attack unless someone else threw the first punch. She never attacked first.

If that was the case, then she probably wasn't involved in causing this infection. A woman like Sukiyumi would know this would start something.

Starting an issue, even creating one, just so they could protect the village didn't seem likely anymore. If she didn't want other villages attacking her by poking the bear, why would she do it in her own village? It didn't make sense.

Even if she did so because she was in control of it didn't make sense.

Hinata was positive Sukiyumi wasn't involved.

"Girl," said Sukiyumi. "You have people you care about in there, yes?"

Hinata didn't answer her. She kept her eyes down as if admitting guilt which was enough to convince Sukiyumi.

"I see. No wonder you came. I suspect afterwards many people here shall hate me and my family. Perhaps accuse me of being heartless. But know this."

Sukiyumi looked down at Hinata, fixing her gaze on the secret member of the Leaf.

"If any of my children were to contract this illness as well, be it my sons or only daughter, they, too, shall be cast inside. I will harbor no dear ones showing signs of illness. I shall have to throw them inside myself and do what needs to be done. That is how much I care about this village's safety."

To willingly sacrifice her own children if it meant keeping the village safe. Her devotion was astonishing. Hinata was more convinced than ever that Sukiyumi was not responsible. It was one thing to cause an illness in order to attack innocent villagers, but her own flesh and blood? Some things Hinata didn't want to believe were possible.

* * *

After napping for a while, Sai started to wander around in the grass. He spotted a clear creek separating two streets. Rather than take the footbridge, Sai went into the water and started splashing around. Bored, he emerged, shook himself dry and wandered around the other side of the street.

Naruto watched everything he did, very little of which made sense.

Since Sai liked climbing to high places and taking naps, Naruto thought Sai believed he was a cat. Since cats hated water and didn't make the sounds Sai was making, Naruto was rethinking his theory. Maybe he was a type of dog. Dogs liked meat and took naps. Could they climb trees?

Naruto sat on the bank and watched Sai pace in the grass.

Suddenly, something caught Sai's attention. He looked over Naruto's head, standing perfectly still.

"What's the matter, Sai?"

He didn't answer him. He was frozen. Then Sai started to growl. He lowered himself and sprang across the creek in one leap. He took off running towards the place they were trying to distance themselves from.

"No, no! Sai, come back! You have to stay hidden!"

Sai ignored him, running. Naruto chased after him, hoping he could stop Sai before he was noticed. He grabbed Sai from behind, tackling him to the ground. Sai picked himself up and started crawling, dragging Naruto behind him.

Taking a risk, Naruto summoned two clones to help weigh Sai down. It didn't slow him down for long. Sai crawled on all fours, dragging three Naruto behind him.

Sai must have been determined. Naruto didn't recall Sai being this physically strong before.

"Sai, please stop!" Naruto pulled with his clones. "You can't be seen!"

They pulled together, lifting Sai off his hands and forced him to fall backwards. Sai lay on his back and Naruto and his clones pinned him down.

Sai started roaring ferociously. And loudly.

"Shh! Shh!" Naruto covered Sai's mouth. "Be quiet!"

Further up the road, Sukiyumi looked back the way she came. "What was that?"

"Uh…" Hinata hoped it was one of Shikamaru's distractions.

"Return to your home," Sukiyumi told her and marched off.

"Yes, Milady." Hinata bowed and took off, but only to her hiding spot. Thinking it was Shikamaru's doing, Hinata had no reason to stop Sukiyumi from leaving. As long as she was away from the warehouse, this was good news.

"Quiet, Sai! Quiet!" Naruto and his clones covered Sai's mouth and carried him towards the forest.

Sai struggled, requiring all of Naruto's clones to hold him down. Naruto stroked Sai's head, whispering calming words into his ear. Sai's thrashing became less violent, but he continued to struggle. Naruto didn't ease up on him until Sai stopped growling. Naruto's clones popped and Naruto uncovered Sai's mouth.

"It's ok, it's ok."

Sai kept himself flat against the ground, staring into the village with determined eyes.

Sukiyumi marched down the street, stopping in front of an overturned trashcan. "What is going on here?"

Ran and Kado stood up tall as soon as she addressed them.

"This trashcan was rolling around in the street, so we stopped to grab it."

Sukiyumi folded her arms. "And what of the other issue?"

"We found the pipe, Mother, and shut it off."

"Good. Let's start getting ready. Bring oil to the warehouse and wait for me."

"Yes, Mother."

Shikamaru peered around the corner, knowing where he needed to head next. He knew that broken pipe wasn't going to stop them for long. Anyone else might have ignored such a thing, but Sukiyumi was concerned about what the leaking water would do to the streets and the housing. If he hadn't tipped over that trashcan as well, she might have reached the warehouse without turning back to investigate the commotion.

Sukiyumi returned to the warehouse and looked around for the girl she had been speaking with. Finding the place girl-free, Sukiyumi assumed she had gone home as she was told and wouldn't be a bother.

She was careful not to mention their plan to the girl, leaving her to believe the people were only being detained. She knew telling her the truth would result her her telling other villages and creating panic. It was best not to give out any details.

She checked the building from all sides and made sure the door was sealed up tight.

Her boys started to arrive with containers in each hand. She instructed them to set the containers down while she went to fetch something else.

Shikamaru watched her leave and looked at the oil containers. They must have been planning to drench the warehouse in oil before setting it ablaze. All he had to do was take care of the oil. If he took it, they would know someone was foiling their plans. If he staged an accident, it would be just that.

Keeping his distance, Shikamaru used his shadow to stretch across the ground and over to the oil containers. When Ran set another container down beside the others, Shikamaru made his move. He used his shadow to push them over.

The oil spilled onto the ground, soaking the grass and dirt.

"Dammit!" Ran quickly grabbed a container and stood it up. He grabbed a second and a third, but the damage was done. The containers weren't empty but that wasn't the issue.

"What did you do?" asked Kado, seeing his brother's hand glistening with oil.

"I don't know what happened. They just tipped over."

"You must have bumped them."

"So it's my fault? The ground's uneven. They could have spilled on their own."

Sukiyumi dropped a bucket of water she had been carrying by her feet and watched the oil ooze further into the street.

"This will never do," she said. "The oil's saturated the grass. If we were to go ahead with our plans, the fire will spread from the warehouse and burn the surrounding area. Pouring dirt over it will do little to help. The oil will still be there."

"I'm sorry, Mother. Please forgive me."

She held up her hand. "What's done is done. We'll either have to wait for the oil to evaporate, which will take even longer than water… Or we can find a way around it."

"Metal, Mother," said Kado. "There is sheet metal we can use as a fence to prevent the fire from spreading along the oiled path. And we can collect sand to dump on any flames that travel away from the warehouse."

Sukiyumi nodded. "Well done, Kado. I will collect the rest of the oil and keep it contained. You and Ran collect metal and sand. Construct a barrier around the building."

"Yes, Mother."

"Yes, Mother."

Shikamaru frowned. He foiled this plan, but their new one was going to be even harder to derail while making it look like an accident.

* * *

"What's gotten into you, Sai?" Naruto asked as he stroked his friend's back.

Sai was now calm but he had been staring straight ahead for some time. Only now was Sai able to look elsewhere without growling.

"You've got to keep quiet, ok? We can't let anyone find you."

Sai rolled onto his back and looked at the trees. He rubbed his body on the ground, then rolled back onto his stomach. He rested his head on Naruto's lap.

Naruto sighed. It was so hard to tell if Sai knew who he was or not. Was Sai behaving this way because he recognized him as his friend, or did he only recognize him as a kind stranger who set him free and fed him?

"Sai, I don't know if you can understand me, but… I'm sorry I didn't take you more seriously before. You were acting strange and I didn't pick up on it. I thought you were just being a jerk. I'm sorry for that. I should have known better. As your friend, I should."

Sai didn't do anything.

"You know I'm your friend, right?"

Sai didn't react in the slightest.

"And by the way, I don't know if you intended it to be this way or not, but thanks for back there. In the forest when you protected me from those people while I was on the ground. Thanks for helping me back there, Sai."

Sai lifted his head. He looked into the village.

Sai stood up.

"Sai?"

Sai sniffed the air and growled.

Naruto still didn't understand what Sai was reacting to. What had him on edge?

"Is it the noble family? Is it our friends? What is it?"

Sai started to walk forward. Naruto reached for his arm, missing. Naruto followed him and tried to talk him into going back into the forest. When he didn't listen, Naruto grabbed his wrist. Sai pulled it free and kept going.

"Sai, come back. You can't be wandering around like this. Stay out of the open."

Though Sai did not return, he seemed to be listening to Naruto to some extent. Sai kept his body close to buildings and stayed out of sight. Naruto followed after him.

Sai stopped behind one building, looking at something in the street. When Naruto got closer, he saw a large sheet of metal moving across the street. It looked so out of place until he saw legs carrying the metal towards the warehouse.

"What the hell are they doing now?"

* * *

Sakura saw the metal being brought to the warehouse and wondered what this meant. She watched Ran and Kado plunge the metal sheets into the ground and hammer them into place. They only had a few, but it formed a semicircle around the warehouse.

Knowing exactly what this meant, Sakura went to find the others.

Shino watched from a distance, concerned. It would be difficult not to get involved at this point. If the noble family continued, he and the others would have to make themselves known.

Hinata watched with him, helpless. "Even if we go over there and pull those metal sheet out of the ground, they'll know someone did it. They're in so far, it couldn't be an accident."

"Sending my bugs to swarm around their faces won't be enough to stop them."

"What do we do?" Hinata gave Shino a worried look. "All those people…"

* * *

"Come on, Sai. Let's get out of here."

Sai lowered himself to the ground, growling.

"Sai?"

He was staring at the metal sheet Ran was carrying. The sunlight flashed on its fan-like surface.

"Sai, we have to go. Come on."

Sai rotated his shoulders, moving them up and down one at a time. He was getting ready.

"Sai, no. Come on."

Sai pounced.

"Sai!" Naruto grabbed the back of Sai's shirt and pulled him back.

The metal was between Ran and them, so the brother couldn't see them. But if he turned…

"Sai, stop it. Come on," Naruto hissed.

Ran was only a few feet away. If Sai broke free, Naruto wouldn't be able to grab him without being noticed.

"Sai, please!" Naruto begged quietly.

Sai pulled harder, nearly yanking Naruto off his feet. He was so strong.

"Sai!"

Sai opened his mouth and roared.

* * *

Further up the street, Naruto's friends heard Sai's bold cry of fury.

"Oh, no!" Hinata gasped.

"I guess Naruto couldn't keep him quiet," Shino said solemnly.

Naruto covered Sai's mouth with both hands and pulled him behind a building.

Ran dropped the metal sheet. "Who's there?"

Sai roared again through Naruto's fingers.

"For the love of God, Sai, shut up!"

Ran took a weapon from his belt and approached the building.

Naruto couldn't run without being spotted. Sai was making too much of a fuss to be sneaky and he couldn't carry him away without allowing Sai to make even more noise. He had no choice but to remain where he was and hope Ran didn't find them in the shadows.

Hinata used her Byakugan to see where Naruto was, knowing Sai was with him. She saw the two of them behind a building not far away and saw Ran coming closer to them.

Even if he didn't find them, he would know there was an infected person out of containment. Even if he didn't find Naruto but saw Sai, he would know he got out. If Sai alone was out, then he would know someone was helping him escape. Since Sai was a member of the Leaf Village and the only one out of the warehouse, they would know Leaf ninja had come to interfere.

What could she do? How could she help? How could she protect Naruto?

She looked at the warehouse.

What if Sai wasn't the only one?

They were staging accidents so far, what was one more?

Hinata ran across the street before Shino could stop her.

She looked at the door. She tried the handle. Of course, it would be locked. She pulled back, wondering how she could make this look like an accident. Rather than hit the door handles, she aimed for the space between the two doors. She struck it with her palm and heard a distinct clump.

Grabbing the handle of one of the doors, she threw it open. She stepped aside as several people made their way to the only exit.

She slammed her hand against the handle from the inside and did the same with the other door. This would make it look like the latch was broken from the inside. The noble family would think the people forced themselves out with their own strength.

She had to keep the numbers under control. She hid behind the door and let several people escape. Comfortable with the numbers, she tried to close the door. She couldn't close it. The people pressing against the door were too strong.

Shino came to help her. They pushed against the door together but it wasn't enough.

Hinata stepped in front of the open door and used her Gentle Fist to force the people back inside. The powerful blast sent numerous people flying backwards and Shino was able to shut the door.

With a broken latch, it would be impossible to keep the people from breaking through.

Sakura arrived with a chain and wrapped it around the handles while the others held the doors closed. She locked the chain to the door with a metal rod and they all stepped back.

The doors rattled and shook, but not a single person could get through.

They turned around. The infected people were running off down the street. Sakura was only able to count ten. There might have been more.

* * *

Down the street, Ran was closing in on Naruto and Sai.

Naruto pressed his hands tightly against Sai's mouth, begging him to stop.

As Naruto saw Ran's shadow, he heard loud snarling coming from elsewhere.

Ran turned around and saw several infected people heading his way. "Whoa!" Ran jumped back and raised his weapon.

They came for him, but Ran was able to paralyze several with his needles. He moved to the side to reload, avoiding the attacking crowd.

Naruto took his hands away, watching the shadows move across the wall in front of him.

They were saved, but now they had a new problem.

"Let's get out of here, Sai."

Suddenly, Sai was itching to join in the fight. Naruto wasn't willing to let Sai succumb to mob mentality, so he pulled Sai back with all his might. He picked Sai up and carried him off yet again.

Back at the warehouse, Sakura looked at the broken lock on the door. "How are we going to explain this?"

Shino looked over his shoulder. "The mother is coming."

Thinking quickly, Sakura shoved Hinata and Shino away. "You two, hide. I've got an idea."

When Sukiyumi arrived, her son Kado was standing in front of the door to the warehouse. "What happened here?"

"I was getting everything ready and suddenly the door flew open. I closed it as quickly as I could, but some people got out. The lock's been broken. I had to secure the door before more people got out."

Sukiyumi growled and looked over her shoulder. "Where is your brother?"

"I think he's that way, Mother." Kado pointed down the road.

"Help us round them up."

"Yes, Mother."

Sukiyumi took off and Kado turned back into Sakura.

"Phew! The transformation was a success." Sakura looked back at Hinata and Shino. Kiba and Akamaru were elsewhere and Naruto and Sai were still together as far as she knew. She had no idea where Shikamaru was but knew he could handle himself.

At least ten people were loose and the noble family was not happy. This was a good distraction in the sense that they couldn't continue with their plans, but it made finding the source of the infection even harder for them.

"Keep an eye out for the infected people and try to stay away from them. The noble family will have their hands full for a while, so let's all be on the lookout for the source of the infection."

"Things are becoming chaotic and we're no closer to finding anything than we were before," said Shino.

"While the noble family's busy, use your bugs to search their home. There must be something somewhere. If they find anything toxic or find something they've never encountered before, I'll take a look at it and see if it could be the thing that made the infection." Sakura looked at Hinata. "Hinata, help us search, but use your Byakugan to make sure no one's doing anything to the warehouse, ok?"

"Ok."

"Let's get a move on. It's only a matter of time before the noble family gets fed up and we're unable to keep ourselves hidden."

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18:**

No matter what Naruto tried, Sai wouldn't keep quiet. He kept trying to leave the trees to go into the village. Naruto had his clones sit on him, but Sai was so strong. The clones that didn't pop were taken for a ride on Sai's back as he crawled.

He was convinced it was the infected people that had Sai so agitated. Other than seeing the noble family's son walking down the street, Sai remained pretty calm until the people were set loose.

"Please, Sai, calm down. We can't let them find you. Please understand that."

Sai kept crawling. Naruto pressed Sai's shoulders down and forced him to lie down. Sai snarled and bucked his head, trying to get away.

If Sai didn't quiet down, they would find him. They would kill him. Why couldn't Sai figure that out? Why did he have to make this so difficult?

"I know you can't help it," Naruto told him desperately, "but please don't let them find you. Please try to understand what I'm telling you. Please. I'm trying to help."

Sai growled loudly and wriggled under Naruto and his many clones.

They thought he was dangerous. They didn't know how to cure him. Their solution to the problem was to kill every infected person.

What sort of solution was that? Just because it was a difficult situation, they were looking for the easy way out? Rather than deal with the issue and work hard to find a cure, they would rather eliminate them? Where was the fairness in that? Were they even trying or did they just not like challenges like these?

Just because Sai was difficult to control, he deserved such a fate? They would write him off so easily?

"I won't let them kill you!"

Sai stopped struggling.

"No matter what happens, I won't let them kill you." Naruto hugged Sai's head. "I know you might be difficult to work with, but I'm not giving up on you. Don't you give up either."

Sai quieted down.

"I know it's easier to do these things. I know you can't help most of it. But rather than give in to these urges, can you please try to control yourself? Please, Sai. I'm begging you."

Sensing no struggle, Naruto's clones popped leaving only the original and Sai.

"All I'm asking is for you to be quiet and out of sight so they don't find you. Please, Sai."

Sai didn't struggle and he didn't growl. Naruto slid off his back and Sai stayed put.

Naruto flopped down next to him, panting.

It was so much easier to yell at him. It was easy to blame these eccentricities on Sai's personality. It was easy to do that because it was quick. He yelled rather than see the problem. He accused rather than look for a solution.

Naruto realized what he was doing later than he was comfortable with, but it wasn't too late. He knew he was wrong and was trying to fix things. He didn't help Sai in the beginning but he was now.

He just hoped it wasn't too late for the noble family. He didn't want them to realize their mistake too late.

Killing those people was not the solution. It was easy, but it wasn't right.

Even if they did kill all those villagers, the one who did this was still on the loose. Until they were caught, they would just infect more people. The Arashi clan would have killed all those people for nothing.

"If it was created, it can be fixed," said Naruto, finally calming down himself. "If this illness was created, then a cure can be created, too. They don't have to do this."

Sai lifted his head.

"I'm not giving up, so you can't either, ok?"

Naruto didn't want Sai to give up on his humanity. He didn't want Sai to lose himself and become completely animalistic. To be unable to recognize his friends and attack indiscriminately.

"Hang in there, ok, Sai?" Naruto gave him a smile. "We'll talk soon, right? You'll be back to eating tofu again in no time."

Soon everything would be back to normal. Naruto had to believe that.

Sai huffed and rested his chin on the ground. Then he rolled onto his side, watching Naruto.

The two laid side by side, communicating without words. With just a look, they seemed to understand each other. When it was important, at least.

Animal or human, Sai was still a mystery in some ways to Naruto. At least now he had an excuse for being socially awkward as far as Naruto was concerned.

Naruto chuckled. "Whether it's trying to hide or feeding me ramen, you seem to still have trouble when it comes to reading the situation. Don't you, Sai?"

Sai gave a low growl, but it sounded a lot like a purr.

Naruto tilted his head back to look at the village upside-down. "Once things calm down a little, I say we go back and try to help the others find whatever did this to you. What do you say, Sai?"

Sai gave a sharp growl in response. He seemed to understand.

"Glad to hear it."

* * *

"What the hell happened?" Kiba asked, riding over to the group on Akamaru's back. "There were at least five infected people back there."

Before he could get an explanation, Naruto came over with Sai in tow.

"Guys, what happened? How'd those people get out?"

Hinata couldn't keep the secret to herself. "I… I opened the door." Hinata looked at the ground. "I saw that Naruto and Sai were in trouble. I had to do something. They would have been caught. If they saw Sai, they would know he had help getting out, even if they didn't see Naruto. I… I figured if more people were out, they would suspect a prison break and we wouldn't be found out. And… and I thought it would make a good distraction, so I…"

"That was you, Hinata?" Naruto gave her a big grin. "Great quick thinking. You really saved us back there. Thanks."

Hinata blushed.

"With those guys running around, we stand more of a chance of getting caught, though," said Kiba. "But you're right. They will be too distracted by those people to bother with us. We can just sneak around them while they're dealing with the infected people."

"But they don't know how many got out," said Sakura. "Once all the infected people are caught, they're going to keep looking, expecting to find more."

"Yeah, which means they might run into us. On the plus side, they don't know about Hinata, Shino and me, so we're safe. It's ok if they find us. We'll just tell them we're from this village." Kiba scratched Akamaru behind the ear. "Also a plus, if those guys are going to be looking around for any infected person they might have missed, that means they won't be able to do anything to the warehouse. I think Hinata made the right call. She distracted them from Naruto and from their mission."

Naruto was relieved to hear this. The people in the warehouse were safe for a little while longer.

"Did you guys find anything?" Naruto asked.

Kiba gave a frustrated grunt. "We don't even know what we're looking for. It's a needle in a haystack. Akamaru and I found some plants, but nothing that would cause all this and they were growing out in the woods."

"Shino said he didn't find anything noteworthy in the doctor's office either after the two sons left."

Naruto looked around. "Where is Shino anyway?"

"While the noble family's running around catching all those other people, he went to their house to snoop around."

"Even with the guards around?"

"I think Shino's smart enough to not stand right there. He's good at hiding," Kiba told him. "I bet he's doing two things at once, keeping track of the clan and snooping around their home."

"He knows to meet up with us," said Sakura. "Maybe he found something."

"Shikamaru's missing, too."

"I'm sure he's fine."

Hinata stole a peek with her Byakugan. "It looks like they've rounded up the last of the infected people. I don't see any more."

"Then Shino better hurry up and get here before the Arashi clan returns to their house," said Naruto.

"I'm sure he's fine. He's probably gathering more information. Shino knows what he's doing."

* * *

Shino peered around the corner. The Arashi brothers were moving on after rounding up the escaped detainees. From his observations, Shino believed they were being returned to the same building they escaped from. They also weren't killing the people they were gathering, even if they were sick. It appeared they wanted to kill the people in quarantine as a whole and not individually, as they surmised.

It made sense. If they did not know how the illness was spread, then they didn't want to risk exposure. Killing someone using their usual methods would result in contact with the person's physical form or getting sprayed with their blood. Even if the nobles stood at a distance, they would still be exposed to blood. They didn't want to risk touching or breathing anything in.

That was the reason for the massive building. Not only was it big enough to contain the mass of infected people, but it would also help contain the infection. That was why they wanted to wait until everyone was in the building. They planned on destroying the building with everyone in it. The building was only good for a single use. Therefore, if they missed one, they would have to find other means of killing them, which may cost them another building. The key to their whole plan was conservation. One building, one group, one go. They didn't want to use any more resources than necessary.

Now that he knew how they planned to handle the contagion, it was easy to throw a wrench into their plans. As long as he could keep as many infected people as he could out of the main building, the Arashi clan could not kill them. Their plans were on hold until everyone was contained in a single spot.

It might have been tedious, but it was a temporary solution to the problem. He would have to free as many people as possible from that building, but not too many so they weren't overrun. It might have been a good idea to free about five or ten at a time. That way the nobles couldn't finish their work and they would be running around.

A group of violent maniacs was a pretty good distraction. As long as they were running around, they not only couldn't destroy the building with the quarantined people, they would be too busy to notice the ninja making things more difficult for them.

Even if they were spotted, it came down to a matter of priorities. The nobles could either handle the ninja or round up the attacking crowds. The ninja were making things difficult for them, but they weren't attacking anyone. The ailing and violent people were. That made them more dangerous. The Arashi clan would have to decide who to handle first. Shino wasn't sure if the noble family was used to dealing with issues like these on a daily basis, but it was enough of a conundrum to slow them down.

With a plan now formed, Shino backed away to inform the others. While he was up and about, he was considering breaking a window in the building for the people to escape. Then the Arashi clan would have round up the fleeing people and patch the window so more wouldn't escape. He doubted anyone could reach a window that high, but it would still be another project for them. He had to do something to slow down the family members.

An arm wrapped around his shoulders and held him tight. A second arm came into view just for a second and disappeared. He felt a sharp pain in the side of his neck. Shino pulled away but it was too late. He clamped a hand over his neck and turned around. He saw a man in a white lab coat holding a syringe.

"What did you..?"

Shino knew he was injected with something but didn't know what. He couldn't finish his question or escape. His body had grown stiff. Something was wrong with him. His thoughts were getting cloudy.

He fell into the side of the building he was hiding behind and slumped to the ground.

* * *

Shino saw who is was! But who is it?

Please review! ^-^


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19:**

"There he is," Naruto said in relief. He waved his arm in the air. "Over here, Shino!"

"Don't shout so loud," Kiba told him. "We're supposed to be sneaking around, remember?"

"Only from the nobles."

"Who could be anywhere."

Shino came dashing towards them, bounding at a great speed.

Akamaru sensed something was amiss and whimpered. He gave a sharp bark as a warning to Kiba and the others.

"What's the matter, Akamaru?"

Shino kept coming. He jumped through the air. The wind blew the hood off his head and exposed his open mouth which was contorted into a menacing visage. He pounced on Kiba, knocking him off Akamaru's back and pinned him down.

"What are you doing?!"

Shino snarled and tried to bite him, saliva dripping from his open mouth.

"What happened to him?"

"He's got the same disease!"

Kiba tried to push Shino off but he was too strong. "How the hell did he get it?"

Akamaru grabbed the back of Shino's jacket with his teeth and pulled. Together, they got Shino off Kiba, but he was far from finished. Shino spun around and snapped at Akamaru. He lowered himself onto four legs and gave a low growl. Akamaru returned it, baring his fangs.

"Both of you stop it!" Naruto barked. "That's enough. Knock it off, Shino. I know you can hear me."

Sai was still able to understand him to some extent and was willing to do as Naruto said to a certain point, so Naruto believed Shino was the same way. He still had some trace of humanity left in him.

"Shino!" Naruto spoke to him as if he were an ill-mannered dog. "Enough!"

He turned and growled at Naruto. He wasn't intimidated by the tone of voice or by the look in Naruto's eyes. He was angry. He took Naruto as a challenger and wanted to fight. He stood on his two legs and got in Naruto's face.

The two stared each other down. Shino's lip quivered as he snarled. Naruto glared back and stood tall. It came down to a battle of wills. Neither of them was going to back down.

"Shino…" Naruto said warningly.

With a snarl, Shino lunged for Naruto's neck. Naruto stepped back in time and Shino tried again.

Sai intervened, moving between Naruto and Shino. He growled in Shino's face. Shino growled back. It looked like they were communicating. Finally, their conversation turned violent and the two tried to scratch each other.

Naruto pulled Sai back by his shoulders. Shino clawed Sai across the face with his nails and Sai pulled away from Naruto to return the hit. He hit Shino so hard in the side of the head he went down. Naruto grabbed Sai and held him back before he could do any more damage.

"Easy, Sai. Calm down."

Sai hunched his back, growling at Shino but didn't make a move.

Shino got up, making a gurgling noise in his throat. He hunched over as well, growling.

Naruto held out his hand, palm facing Shino. "Easy, Shino. Calm down."

Shino moved closer, growling continuously.

How could he get Shino to listen? He was acting completely out of character. He was like a wild animal.

Which gave Naruto an idea.

Naruto reached into his pocket and took out the bag of jerky. If Shino was going to act like an animal, he might as well treat him like one. Maybe he would listen.

Naruto broke a piece of jerky in half and held it up. Shino eyed it curiously, sniffing.

"Shino, stay."

Shino didn't move.

"Good boy." Naruto tossed the jerky in the air and Shino caught it in his mouth.

"What are you doing?" Kiba asked him.

"Training him. If Shino's going to act like an animal, maybe he'll listen if we do things like this. Reasoning isn't going to work."

Shino swallowed the reward and walked forward, wanting more.

"Shino, stay."

This time he didn't listen. Shino came closer.

"Stay, Shino. Stay."

Shino growled and went for Naruto. Naruto held the jerky to the side and Shino went after it. Naruto hid the treat behind his back and Shino followed it, chasing Naruto in a circle. Naruto spun and Shino followed, trying to get the jerky with his teeth.

"Stop, Shino. Heel, Shino. Stay, Shino!"

"I don't think he's that easy to tame, Naruto. I think him listening that time was just a fluke."

"I don't even think he understood you."

"Yeah, he just wants to food."

Naruto tossed the jerky into the grass and Shino went after it. After he ate it, Shino went back to get more. Naruto tossed another one which Shino barely took notice of. He was more interested in Naruto now. He gave a low growl and then charged.

"No, Shino! Stop!"

Shino stopped, but not by choice. He couldn't move. Something was preventing him.

"I turn my back for ten minutes and Shino gets infected?" came Shikamaru's voice. "What the hell happened?"

The shadow held Shino in place, but it did nothing to keep him from making noise. He growled at Shikamaru but couldn't do anything else.

"We don't know what happened," said Sakura. "He was fine a few minutes ago."

"He got infected so fast," said Naruto. "With Sai, it took almost a whole day for him to get this bad. Maybe longer."

Shikamaru eyed Shino suspiciously. Shino snarled at him, showing his teeth.

"So fast. I know Shino was fine. For him to get this bad so quick…" Shikamaru had a horrifying thought. "He must have run into whoever was responsible."

"Shino found the guy who did this?" Hinata gasped. "He must have been discovered and the person infected him."

"Or he found the infection itself without realizing and got infected that way," theorized Sakura.

"Well, this is good, isn't it?" said Kiba. "I mean, not him being this way, but him actually making progress. He actually found the guy who did this."

"But he can't talk anymore. He can't tell us what he found."

"Where was he?" asked Shikamaru. "We have to retrace his steps since he can't tell us what went on. Wherever he came from must be the point of origin. We go there, we find who did it."

"And we won't have to search blindly like we've been doing," added Kiba.

"He was going to check out the noble household."

Kiba threw his hands in the air. "It all comes back to them," he said. "They're the only ones not infected, they knew Sai was infected without having to watch him deteriorate and Shino got infected while snooping around their house. Face it, Naruto. That girl probably tipped you off because she knew about this. She's got to be involved."

"You don't know that! It could be the mother."

"Yeah, she's a pretty cruel woman."

Hinata shook her head in disagreement. "I don't think so. I spoke to her before and she admitted that it was nothing personal. She said that if her own kids got infected, she would be doing the same thing to them."

"That only makes her heartless," said Kiba.

She shook her head again. "No. I think it's more than that. The way she talked, it sounds like she really is trying to do what's best for the village. She knows if this isn't taken care of, more people will get infected. If that happens, it's only a matter of time before they leave the area to infect other villages. They'll attack travelers, innocent people. She's trying to protect."

"By killing her own villagers?"

"If there isn't a cure, what choice does she have? She doesn't want to risk other people getting this. It's hard for her because the people she's supposed to be protecting from threats have become a threat. She's handling this the only way she knows how."

"I think Hinata's right," said Sakura. "The Arashi clan are warriors. They're used to combat. Now they're facing a new kind of opponent and they're approaching it the same way they would regular combat. If they can't get it to surrender, they kill it. Since they can't cure it, their only option is to destroy it."

"Exactly," said Shikamaru. "They're used to doing things through force. They're not doctors, they're warriors."

"But what about that one son?" asked Naruto. "He was in the doctor's office studying the tools they used against the infected people. He admitted he was trying to cure them."

"Maybe that son's the only one. Just because they're warriors doesn't mean they don't have hobbies. Sayo goes to the zoo and her brother must study science or something. Even ninja have hobbies, so why not them?"

"Before we start looking for who's responsible, why don't we find out what infected Shino and work backwards from there?" suggested Sakura. "He must have been infected near the noble's manor. There must be something there that did it."

"But we searched there before and came up with nothing."

"But Shino got distracted before he could do a thorough search, remember? He must have found something this time."

Shikamaru winced and looked at Shino. He was still trapped by the jutsu, but his body was slowly beginning to move.

"You ok, Shikamaru?"

"Ugh, it's Shino." Shikamaru scrunched up his face in concentration. "He's pulling so hard. He's stronger than I expected."

"Sai, too," said Naruto. "I think they all are. It took half a dozen clones to hold him down and he was still able to move. Sai normally can't do that. I think all the infected people gain super strength."

"You've got to be kidding," Kiba moaned. "Well, at least Shino can't use his bugs in this state. If he could still use jutsu, we would all be in trouble. Can you imagine?"

"If Shino can't use his bugs anymore, does that mean he can no longer track the noble family?" asked Hinata. "Did his bugs all come back to him or are they still there but he's unable to communicate with them?"

"I don't know but I don't think it matters at this point."

Shino was starting to drag his feet across the ground. Seething with rage, he pulled hard against the jutsu, moving slowly towards his friends.

"I can't hold him back much longer," Shikamaru complained. "He's too strong."

"What do we do? Let him roam free?"

"What if he runs off somewhere? What if the Arashi clan find him and lock him up, too?"

"I went after Sai, what makes you think I won't go after Shino? I'm keeping my friends safe no matter what."

"But you can't control him. Sai's easier to handle than him."

"Decide, people!" Shikamaru was sweating. "It's only a matter of time before he breaks free."

In the end, they decided to get a head start before letting Shino go free. With no one in sight, Shino had no one to attack and wandered aimlessly between the buildings.

"Poor Shino. I feel bad for leaving him like this."

"There was nothing we could do, Hinata. He'll return to normal once we find a cure."

Now that their search had been narrowed to the noble household, they needed a plan of action.

"We can't just knock on their door," said Naruto. "Even if they're not home, the guards won't let us in."

"We can sneak in," said Kiba. "We're ninja."

"Yeah, but the noble family's on par with a ninja's skills. We've only seen a little of what they can do. Let's assume there's more. The villagers fear them for a reason."

"We also have to assume the one who infected Shino and all those other people is still in there. One wrong move and we could get infected."

"On the plus side, we know it's in there. It's just like retrieving a scroll from a ninja base."

"But we don't know what it looks like or where it is."

"We run into that stuff on missions all the time," said Kiba. "Including not knowing how many enemies there are or if they expect us."

"Which is why a lot of those missions are S-ranked. Heading in there would be no different from an S-ranked mission and not everyone here has the skills for an S-ranked mission like this," said Shikamaru. "Hinata can use her Byakugan to draw us a map and keep an eye out for enemies, but that's about it. She has no idea what the thing looks like so she won't know where it is. You guys don't know what it smells like and a huge dog is difficult to hide. Shino would have been good for this, but we know the story on him. Same as Sai."

"Two people perfect for this mission are unable to perform," said Sakura. "Even if we were to infiltrate, we don't have the equipment for this. No headsets so we can't stay in touch and we weren't prepared for such a mission. Naruto made us leave the village before grabbing all our gear."

"I was focused on saving Sai."

"Think before you act, moron."

"Guys, this isn't helping."

Shikamaru tried to think. Part of him was still concerned about the lack of certainty Shino wouldn't wander into the woods when they left him to roam free a few moments ago. He seemed more interested in the village for the time being, so Shikamaru tried to focus on the mission at hand and trust that Shino wouldn't get too far. Even if he did, Kiba could easily track him down and so could Hinata.

After a moment of weighing the options, Shikamaru declared, "Sneaking into the household is too risky."

"If staying out of sight is the issue, need I remind you that we're often told to go on missions where we have to be in and out without being noticed? Smoke bombs or not, ninja can be in and out of a place without being seen."

"That's not the problem, Kiba."

Shikamaru played several scenarios in his head. He saw them either being caught or infected in almost every one of them. Without knowing what they were looking for, they could be in there for hours. The longer they were in there, the greater risk of being discovered.

Sneaking around probably wasn't going to work for this. Being direct might.

"Maybe we should knock on the door."

"You're kidding, right?" Kiba raised his brow.

"We could send Sakura over and tell them that she was sent by the Hokage to help them cure everyone since she has a medical background. Since they took Sai, Sakura would have business being here. Being direct might be better than sneaking around. They might not suspect her of being up to anything with a plausible story like that."

"Meanwhile, we sneak in the back?"

"No. Sakura can find out what they know. If they admit there isn't a cure, she can tell them that she can help them find one and how she has the skills to do it. I say we offer to help them rather than sneak around like this. They might be more willing."

"What if they refuse?"

"If they refuse something willing to help them save their people, then we assume they're responsible for infecting them," said Kiba. "Who would turn something like that down?"

"Except for someone who doesn't want them to be cured." Naruto grinned. "Good thinking."

Sai looked off in the distance and started growling.

"What's the matter?"

Sai jumped. He cleared the street in one leap and started running. Without using jutsu to give him a boost, this was impressive. The infection must have enhanced his leg strength along with the rest of his body.

"Come back!" Naruto took off after him.

They followed Sai down the street and found him standing in front of the warehouse, snarling at the door.

The reinforced doors were starting to bend. The chains keeping the doors shut groaned and rattled. The crowd inside was pressing against the only exit with too much force. It was only a matter of time before the doors came off their hinges.

"Look!" Hinata pointed.

The bending doors yielded an escape route for some of the thinner prisoners. As the crowds pushed against the double doors and the chains were pulled tight, an opening between the two doors was created. Two were already beginning to escape.

"Shouldn't we stop this?"

"How? Even if we shove them back in, they're just going to crawl out again. If those chains break, everyone's going to get out."

"We can't let that happen."

Two people clawed their way to freedom and set their sights on Naruto's group.

Sai snarled, hunching over.

"Let's get out of here." Naruto pulled on Sai's shirt. "Come on, Sai. Let's go."

He didn't listen.

Naruto pushed on Sai's shoulders. "Come on, let's go. Come on."

Sai reluctantly came along, still growling a warning to the escaping people.

"We can't help secure the warehouse without the Arashi clan knowing we're here," said Shikamaru. "I think now's a good time for Sakura to knock on their door to offer help. Even if they refuse, at least they'll know we're here and won't be too surprised if we start interfering."

"I'm with Shikamaru on this one."

"Me, too."

"Stop!" Kiba held out his arm.

Their escape route was cut off by the infected people.

Sai growled at something to their left. Shino was coming closer, showing his teeth.

"What do we do?"

Shino looked away from the group, now interested in the infected people standing in their path. Shino growled at the two and they growled back. The woman snapped at the ear of the man beside her and the man snarled. They approached Naruto's group, closing in.

Sai lowered himself, growling.

The woman growled back.

Sai snapped his teeth in her direction.

She didn't back down.

The man beside her whooped and growled.

Shino joined them. He snarled and growled. Then he gave a strange loud giggle.

Shikamaru fixed his gaze on Shino.

The man and Shino whooped and giggled before joining the woman in a growl.

"That sound…"

Naruto raised his brow at the strange noise. "Is Shino giving us an evil laugh? What's up with that?"

"He sounds kind of like…"

"A hyena," Shikamaru finished. "Of course. That's what's going on."

"What's going on?" asked Naruto.

"The zoo," explained Shikamaru. "They're acting like zoo animals. I think that's how the person did this. Whoever's responsible is somehow using the animals at the zoo as an infection. That's why these people are acting so animalistic. They are animals. The infection was created from the zoo animals."

"But we were just there and didn't find anything."

"We found animals. That's a major component. And I know you don't want me saying this, Naruto, but Sayo was doing something with a hyena two days ago. Now Shino's acting like he's part hyena. There has to be a connection."

"Point fingers later," said Kiba. "Let's get out of here before they eat us."

Akamaru growled at the people in front of them. He had to keep Kiba safe. At the same time, he didn't want to attack Shino, so all he was willing to do was growl.

Sai, however, was all too willing. As soon as Shino and the other people made a move, Sai pounced. He knocked Shino down and clawed at his face. Shino fought back, kicking Sai in the ribs. The man attacked Sai from the side and the woman stood by, roaring. The man bit Sai's rib and Sai elbowed him in the head. He man backed off and Shino tried to bite Sai.

"Stop it, all of you!" Naruto shouted.

Shikamaru used his jutsu to stop them but the people didn't like being held back. They all fought against his shadow and Shikamaru struggled to keep them restrained.

"Why do you guys have to make this so troublesome?" Shikamaru was having a hard time keeping them apart. "Stop struggling."

The jutsu broke and the fight continued.

Thankfully, all it took to end the fight was for Sai to swipe Shino across the face. Shino backed off. Giving one last growl, he turned and ran away. The woman followed and the man did the same.

Sai chased after them. He tackled the man out of a run with his arms and tried to sink his teeth into the man's lower back.

"Sai, knock it off!"

Sai released the man and he took off after the others. Sai stood up, panting. He watched them leave before turning to Naruto. Naruto stroked his head and Sai calmed down.

"Easy, Sai. Easy."

Sai looked down. His arm was bleeding slightly. He raised it to his face and started licking it.

"So," said Kiba, breaking the silence. "The zoo?"

"All those animals were ingredients," said Shikamaru. "The serum itself might not be there, but it must contain animal DNA, which means those animals are unwillingly involved."

"That sort of narrows it down, doesn't it?" asked Hinata. "Animal DNA must be one of the ingredients, so now that we know that…"

"It's not enough for a cure," said Sakura. "That's only a small part of it. Simply injecting animal DNA into human beings shouldn't result in this. There has to be more to it. We need the final product."

"They had to get the animals' DNA somehow," said Kiba. "Akamaru and I will go check it out."

"Meantime, I really think we should offer our assistance to the noble family," said Shikamaru. "This whole thing is getting way out of hand. We can't keep ourselves hidden any longer and expect the same results now that things are getting worse. We have to work together with the Arashi clan. Even if they refuse, they'll know we're here so we won't have to sneak around while trying to protect those people."

"Then let's do it," said Sakura. "I'm willing if you guys are."

"And Sai?" asked Naruto.

"You keep an eye on him. He's a handful enough as it is. Just try to keep him away from the noble family. He can't be discovered." Shikamaru walked closer to Sakura. "I'll go with Sakura. Hinata, try to keep track of where the infected people go. We need to be sure of their numbers."

"Ok. I'll make sure everyone's accounted for."

"Then who's looking for the serum?" asked Naruto.

"That ship has sailed," said Kiba, mounting Akamaru's back. "Without knowing where it is, what it looks like, it would have taken forever. Shikamaru and Sakura will probably have better luck running across it while they're with the noble family. There's no sense in searching anymore."

Though Naruto had no better idea of where or what it could be either, he didn't want to give up the search. He felt like they were so close. Shino had just been infected. That meant the culprit was in the same area he was. They didn't know when exactly Shino had been infected, so the culprit could have been anywhere by now. Even so, the longer they waited around, the colder the trail would get. Naruto thought if they simply went to the same area Shino was investigating, they would find the perpetrator and the source of the infection.

Everyone was convinced it had to be someone in the noble family. Shino was investigating their house when he was infected. Everything pointed to them.

If all the pieces fit, why did Naruto feel like there was something missing?

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20:**

Sakura looked across the street at the guards standing on the steps of the noble's manor. "I'm not sure about this," she confessed.

"You just said you were on board with this, Sakura," Shikamaru told her gently.

"Yes, but do I have to be the one to talk to them?" Sakura remembered what happened last time and grew nervous. "That woman tried to kill me over an empty box and wouldn't give me a chance to explain. I was told that she might not have stopped. That they kill anyone who upsets them. If I go back there, what's going to happen? I'm sure she'll recognize me."

"You think she's going to attack you on sight? I think the clan has bigger problems at the moment."

"Even the village doctor said that the family doesn't put things in perspective most of the time and act rashly."

"Even if they don't always take things into consideration, I really think they'll hold back this time."

Sakura sighed. "Let's assume they'll put aside their usual reputation of acting without thinking of how things will then unfold. Would they really want my help in all this? To them, I'm the one who lost or stole their precious object. Even if they don't attack me on sight, I doubt they'll trust me."

"Then I'll go and tell them we have a doctor willing to help them and won't say who it is."

"They'll find out eventually." She sighed again. "But you're right. We have to do something."

Last time, they couldn't fight back because their mission forbade it. The noble family ran the village and protected it. They were assigned to deliver a package to them, not to fight. Even if the family attacked them, they couldn't engage. Their only option was to run. This time, they weren't on a mission. Sakura didn't want to start a war with them, but she didn't think running away this time would be an option. She may have to stand her ground.

However, maybe they didn't have to fight each other. If Sakura retaliated, they would see her as an enemy and fight harder. If she never threw a punch, in theory, they wouldn't continue their assault. They would stop upon seeing that she was not a threat and was unwilling to fight back. If she didn't fight back, then it wasn't a battle but a beatdown. Surely, they wouldn't go so far as to attack someone who couldn't or wouldn't fight back.

As long as she didn't fight, maybe this would work. She just had to change her strategy and control herself. No matter what happened, she couldn't give in to the urge to strike back.

Shikamaru walked with Sakura to the steps of the noble's manor. As soon as they approached, the guards told them to remain where they were and to state their business.

"We've come to help the noble family combat this infection," said Shikamaru. "We're ninja from the Hidden Leaf."

"Away with you!" barked one of the guards. "The noble family's very busy and don't need-"

"Look!" The second guard pointed up the road to where several infected people had gathered.

"Don't tell me they're here now. They haven't come this far before. Weren't they locked up?"

The infected group charged towards them, giving their battle cries. The guards stood their ground but were unsure of what to do. They seemed to be under orders not to kill the infected people they came across. Without the noble family at home and the infected people coming their way, they were at a loss and frightened.

"I got this." Shikamaru formed a hand-sign. "Shadow Possession Jutsu!"

His shadow stretched and snared all the people before they could reach the stairs. The guards relaxed, letting out loud breaths of relief.

"Ah!" Shikamaru gave a pained yelp and hunched over.

"Are you ok?" Sakura asked him.

"It's them," Shikamaru grunted. "They're so strong! Pulling so hard..!"

The people weren't frozen for long and started to drag their feet across the ground. Their arms began to shift, moving against Shikamaru's jutsu.

Shikamaru looked like he was in pain. Sakura didn't know how to help him. In the end, all she could do was catch him as his jutsu broke and he fell backwards.

The people bounded towards them and Sakura held Shikamaru tightly, protecting him.

A figure appeared in front of them and the people suddenly collapsed on the ground.

"What the hell are you doing here?" asked one of the Arashi brothers.

Stunned by his sudden appearance, Sakura and Shikamaru were at a loss for words.

Kado turned around. "Well?"

Sakura took a deep breath. "We've come to help you with the infected people. I'm-"

"We don't need your help," he said coldly. "Go back to your village."

Sakura refused but tried to sound as respectful as possible when stubbornly going against his orders. "Please, hear me out. I'm a medic. I can help you."

Kado turned his back to Sakura. "What makes you think you can succeed where our village doctor has failed?"

"Because I deal with things most doctors don't," she said truthfully. "I can help if you let me."

Kado advanced towards the paralyzed people on the ground. "Are you deaf?" he asked bitterly. "I told you to leave."

As he worked to gather the people without touching them, Sakura could tell by his reticent behavior that something else was going on. It seemed to her that he wanted to accept her help but couldn't do so.

Though the culprit had not been caught yet, she knew Kado probably wasn't the one infecting the people. He wouldn't put himself through all this trouble.

"I can tell you that the people are not contagious," Sakura informed him. "Touching them won't give it to you."

Kado's hand hovered over a man's shoulder as he prepared to transport him elsewhere with a tarp and thick gloves. He curled his fingers into a fist and lowered his hand to his lap.

"And how would you know that?" he asked without turning his head.

"Because she's a doctor," Shikamaru answered for her. "She knows what she's doing."

Kado scoffed. "Don't act like you're here for our sake. I know you're only here because we took your friend. If we hadn't done that, your village would have no reason to meddle in our affairs. It's not as if you care what's going on."

"Of course, we do." Sakura stood up. "This doesn't just effect you, you know. Even if we weren't directly involved, we can't just stand by when people are in trouble. It's not about our friend being involved. We want to help."

"And I told you we don't need it," Kado snapped. "Now go!"

Sakura stood her ground. "I'll leave once you tell me what the cure is," she told him.

It was a bold move on her part and even Shikamaru couldn't see the outcome of this one.

She knew there wasn't a cure. Unless Kado lied to her and made something up, he would have to accept her help.

"You said you would treat Sai, so what is it? What's the cure?"

Kado didn't look at her. "What do you think it is?"

"That is not an answer." Sakura clenched her fists. "I know you don't have one, otherwise these people wouldn't still be this way. Sai would have been returned by now."

"So you came here to check." Kado stood up, leaving the tarp on the ground. He didn't move from where he stood. He didn't even lift his gaze. "It is not your concern," he told her.

"It is when it involves my friend."

"So you are here because of him and not us."

"I'm here to help," she said firmly. "All of you. All you have to do is let me."

Kado turned his body and walked towards her. "I told you," he said as he walked. "We don't need your help. Go back to your village."

"If you don't have a cure, what makes you think you don't need our help?" Sakura looked him square in the eyes. "Don't you want to help your village? If I can help you do that, why would you turn it down?"

Kado stopped in front of her with a frown. "Leave this to us, girl. Go back to your village. This is our problem. We'll deal with it ourselves."

"Since my friends are involved, I should be here, too. It's an 'us' problem now. Don't you get that?"

Kado pointed up the street. "Leave," he said firmly. "Go before I make you."

"We both want the same thing. Don't you want to help your village?"

"Of course, I do."

"Then why won't you let me help you?"

"Because we do not ask for help!" Kado shouted at her.

They were not allowed to ask for help.

Kado lowered his arm which was now shaking. He was panting heavily, looking furious.

"It is the duty of the noble family to help the village and protect its people. We have always done so. Us. Us and us alone. If we cannot handle this…"

Kado's eyes were burning. His chest was heaving. He had so much rage and another emotion. An emotion his mother did not tolerate. One he was told never to show.

He kept it bottled up, but now, at the thought of being unable to help the villagers and even having a hand in their demise, he found it impossible to hold it back anymore.

A single tear ran down his cheek.

"We must do this on our own." He was telling this to Sakura and to himself. "We've never accepted help from anyone."

"You've never needed to until now," Sakura told him gently.

"We were raised to be able to handle anything. Any threat that came to our village, anything that stood in our way. There would be no obstacle we couldn't confront and destroy." Kado looked down. "But now…"

"This is a different kind of battle. This isn't like facing an enemy with a sword. It's something you cannot see or touch. Something you can't fight the way you're used to."

Kado wiped his tear away. "I thought I could do it. I read books. I thought I could cure this. I couldn't even figure out what this was. The only thing that came close was rabies."

"Well, you're not far off," Sakura mumbled.

"But they don't have it. It's like they all developed psychosis overnight. It doesn't make any sense." Kado rubbed the back of his neck. "Mother said the only way to prevent more people from getting sick is to destroy the illness. Every single person is a carrier of the infection and no one is returning to normal. Mother told us in order to save everyone else, we have to…"

Kado couldn't finish, but Sakura already knew. When she looked in his eyes, Kado knew it as well. She knew what they were going to do.

She wasn't the only one who didn't want to go through with it.

"Mother explained it to us. I didn't agree, but I can't go against her wishes. She doesn't want to do it either, but she told us it was the only way. That we didn't have a choice if we wanted to save the others." Kado was trembling. "To kill the very people we're supposed to protect? Even after she explained it, I just… I tried again to find a cure, but I came up with nothing. I can't even identify it. Even the doctor couldn't. I'm fine going against enemies, but these are our people. How can I possibly..?"

"If we work together, you may not have to," Sakura urged him. "You don't have to carry out the plan. We can find a cure if we work together."

"But we've never…"

"I know that, but this is different. You might have to. Besides, there's nothing wrong with having allies. We're both after the same thing. We can save these people. We can cure them."

Now that Kado let his emotions show, he seemed like a reasonable person. Sakura hoped she could get through to him. Usually Naruto was the one convincing people who were stuck in their ways. Hopefully she learned something from her teammate and could convince Kado.

He looked unsure. "We don't ask for it…"

"I'm offering. You don't have to ask, you can just accept."

"But it's our job to protect this village. My family should be the one to save the people. It's our duty. We should handle it ourselves. We always have."

"But this isn't combat. Not the kind you've been training for. This is different, so you can approach it differently. All I'm asking is for you to do something side by side with me. If you do that, you're still helping your people. By working with me, you can and will save your village. Your people get saved and my friends get saved. Everybody wins."

"Well…"

Kado was on the verge of accepting. Sakura could feel it.

He thought over everything she said and studied his own feelings. Asking for help didn't feel right to him, but letting the villagers die in such a way felt even worse. He didn't want to have any part of that. If he did so, wouldn't that make him a threat? He was supposed to protect the villagers from harm, but he was the one harming them.

He couldn't live with that. Not just because of his duties but because of the type of person he was. He was trained to be tough, but he had a kind heart deep inside and enjoyed protecting people. It made him feel important.

He had no idea how to help them. He tried everything. Getting this girl's help wouldn't make things any worse. After all, she was offering it to him.

Kado nodded his head, his face becoming stoic again. "Very well, I will allow you to assist me."

Sakura didn't quibble over the phrasing. Maybe he had to say it that way to make himself feel better about accepting help from a stranger.

Just in case someone in the family was involved, Sakura didn't want to give too much away. She kept the theories and certain discoveries a secret from Kado but informed him that the infection was not contagious and that the origin was somewhere in the village so even if they did carry out their original plan, it wouldn't solve matters.

While they talked, Shikamaru marveled at the strength of the infected people. Rarely was his jutsu ever broken like that. In addition to acting like animals, the infected people might have obtained their strength as well. They seemed almost superhuman. He suspected this in the forest when those people were freed by Naruto. Shikamaru had to be careful with how he used his jutsu and how often. Because of their strength, he had to use even more chakra just to keep them in place. He was starting to feel drained.

* * *

Kiba and Akamaru went to the zoo and walked over to the main building. The door was unlocked. Kiba had Akamaru go first then followed. They went down the same long hallway Naruto and the others had before. This was Kiba's first time being here and had no idea where anything was. Since they now knew that the zoo animals were involved in the infection's creation, Kiba was confident that he and Akamaru could find something they couldn't.

While Akamaru sniffed around, Kiba read the signs and looked at the map displayed on the wall near the door leading to the main attractions. He opened the door, gesturing for Akamaru to follow.

"Too bad Shino got infected," Kiba told Akamaru quietly. "Never expected him of all people. He probably saw his attacker, but he can't tell us anything. I don't even think he has control over his bugs anymore, which means the noble family probably isn't being tracked. Even if they were, Shino can't tell us anything."

Akamaru whimpered.

"I know, boy. The other thing that surprises me is that his bugs can't break it down. I thought they could do that. On the plus side, that probably narrows it down. You know, the type of infection it could be. Although, I suppose if it's a new type of infection the bugs haven't come across, that would explain why they couldn't break it down. They didn't know what it was. More support for it being a man-made thing."

Remembering the look on Shino's face as he attacked made Kiba shudder. He had never seen Shino look like that before. Even when he was distressed, he was usually so pokerfaced. Kiba had no problem reading him now.

"Man… You think Shino's constantly pissed now? All those people are furious all the time." Kiba stopped walking, realizing something. "Except for Sai."

Akamaru looked at him.

"Sure, he's pissed most of the time now, but I've seen the guy be calm. What's up with that? Also, Naruto and everybody said that it took Sai almost a full day or two to get this bad. Shino's just like everyone else and it only took a couple minutes by the look of things. You think that means something?"

Akamaru whimpered.

"I know, boy. I got a couple theories about this. Either Sai's able to put up a resistance against the infection, or maybe he was infected with something different from everyone else." Kiba thought of something else. "Or maybe he was never intended to be infected at all."

Kiba snapped his fingers, thinking he had cracked the code.

"It all makes sense when you think about it. It took Sai a long time to get this bad and no one knows how he got it. I think Sai was an accident. He got infected but it wasn't on purpose. He probably didn't get infected the same way everyone else did. Maybe he swallowed something when it was supposed to be injected. The guy didn't know it. Then when Shino came along, he probably discovered who's behind all this and when that happened, the bad guy infected Shino on purpose to keep him quiet. I bet that's what happened."

He couldn't wait to tell everyone his discovery. They were going to be so impressed.

"And they call me an idiot. I'm smarter than they give me credit for."

Akamaru sniffed the air. He whimpered softly, taking a step forward.

"You got something, Akamaru?"

The dog didn't bark, but he was on the trail of something important. He walked forward and Kiba followed. He stopped, sniffed the ground and looked at Kiba, whimpering.

It was a fresh scent, but it didn't belong to any of their friends. Those scents were getting colder. This scent was on top of theirs. Someone else was in this zoo.

Kiba saw something move and ducked behind a wooden sign. They were not alone.

Thinking it was the assailant, Kiba got ready for a fight. He stayed hidden, listening for footsteps. When he heard them, he changed his position, getting closer to the person. Hearing the footsteps again, he stopped and peered over a hedge.

It was a girl.

She looked young, but she moved confidently so Kiba knew she wasn't lost. This girl knew exactly where she was going and she was carrying something in her arms. Kiba couldn't see what it was. She had her back to him.

The girl stopped walking. "Who's there?" she asked.

Kiba hadn't made a sound. How did she know she was being followed? She had some incredible sensory skills.

Thinking quick, Kiba signaled for Akamaru to move. If the girl saw a dog, she would assume that was the only thing following her and wouldn't think there was a second person.

Akamaru deliberately rustled the hedge and looked over the top. He barked and jumped into view.

The girl stopped and smiled. "Aw, what a cute doggy! How'd you get in here?"

Akamaru tried to keep her attention away from Kiba by wagging his tail and moving to the side.

"You don't have a collar. Aren't you someone's pet? You don't have an owner?"

Kiba wanted to inform her that Akamaru wasn't a pet but knew to keep quiet.

"You're so big. I bet I could ride you."

Kiba tried to look through the hedge to see what the girl was carrying but it was no use. His view was obstructed.

Suddenly, the girl jumped and landed on the other side of the hedge next to Kiba. "Hi, there!"

"Gah!" Startled, Kiba flinched and sprang to his feet.

"You sneaking in, too?"

Kiba growled.

It seemed she was just a kid who broke into the zoo for kicks, but her skills claimed otherwise. This was no ordinary kid. She had skills like a ninja. She wasn't dressed like a villager, either.

The girl looked at Kiba's forehead. "I know that symbol. Naruto wore it. That's the mark of the Leaf, isn't it? You're a Leaf ninja."

"And if I am?"

She smiled. "Nothing. So, what's your name? I bet you know Naruto, don't you?"

"I'm Kiba and, yeah, I know Naruto," Kiba said with a glare. He wasn't willing to drop his guard, no matter how friendly this girl seemed to be. "And who are you?"

She puffed out her chest with pride. "I am Sayo, youngest member of the Arashi clan."

This was Sayo? Kiba had never met her. All he had to go on was what Naruto and the others told him. He honestly wasn't expecting this. He thought she would be just as tough as the rest of her family. All Kiba had seen so far were stern and proper people. This girl was bubbly and sweet.

Her disposition didn't change the fact that she was still their top suspect. She was also supposed to be back at the Leaf Village. What was she doing here? As far as Kiba was concerned, it was just more evidence to peg her as the culprit.

She was sneaking around the zoo, she had skills that were on par with a ninja's, she was here when everyone thought she was still at the Leaf. The evidence was mounting. She had to be the one they were looking for.

Maybe that was how she infected Shino. He let his guard down because she was friendly and cheerful. That was when she jumped him and infected him.

Kiba wasn't about to let the same thing happen to him. He was going to stop her before she had the chance.

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21:**

Kado led Sakura and Shikamaru back to the warehouse. When they got there, the doors were bending outward, the hinges creaking.

"Oh, no."

"Those doors are hanging on by a thread. If they go, everyone's going to escape."

"We can't let that happen." Shikamaru ran forward. He stood in front of the building and made his move.

His shadow rose from the ground and wrapped itself around the building, keeping the doors shut like a tight rubber band. The doors started to bend back into place.

"How long can you do that?" Sakura asked.

"I have no idea." Shikamaru was already starting to sweat. "It's a big building and they're all pushing."

Sakura turned to Kado. "If we knew what caused this outbreak, I can use it to make an antidote. There's no need to kill them. We can save them all."

"You say it's man-made? Who would do such a thing?"

"We haven't a clue. If we find out who did it, we can find how they did it. They might even have some of the stuff on them."

"But what are we looking for? A pill? A syringe? What?"

"I don't know. We've been trying to figure that out."

Shikamaru leaned backwards, pulling his shadow tight. "Figure something out quick! I can't hold this forever."

Kado looked at the shadow and at Shikamaru. He finally saw how the jutsu worked and realized that the shadow was attached to Shikamaru and wasn't an actual rope they could leave behind.

"We have to block the door." Kado looked at the surrounding area. "The metal sheets. Grab those and lean them against the doors at an angle."

Sakura helped Kado gather the sheets of metal and wedge them under the door handles, jamming the doors shut. They gathered as many as they could, piling them up against the building. The sheets lurched as the people in the warehouse rammed their bodies against the doors. The metal did not bend but some of them slid, moving deeper into the dirt. This caused the sheets to slide away from the doors when the people inside backed up for another push. Kado saw this and grabbed something heavy to place behind the sheets of metal. The single crate he found was enough to hold the metal in place. When the infected people rammed themselves against the doors again, the sheets hit the wooden crate rather than slide away and kick up dirt.

"That should do it for now," said Kado.

Not a moment too soon. Shikamaru released the jutsu and fell to his knees feeling lightheaded.

They backed away from the warehouse, listening to the people inside growling and throwing themselves against the doors.

"Who could have done this?" asked Kado with a frown. "To do this to so many people… Have you any suspects?"

"Um…" Sakura didn't want to tell him that the noble family was under suspicion. He might not react well to hearing such a thing.

Shikamaru saved her from having to say it to Kado's face. "Whoever did it still has the source of the infection with them. We find the person responsible, we find the key to making the antidote," he explained. "If we find out what all these people have in common, we might be able to solve this and find out who infected them."

"The people have nothing in common," said Kado. "Every one of them works in different places, they are a combination of men and women, are of different ages and body types. They have nothing in common with one another."

"They must," said Shikamaru. "Why them and no one else? Why the villagers?"

"What do you mean by 'no one else', exactly? No one else as in this village alone? But a ninja from your village was infected as well. You already said that the infection started here so…"

Kado paused, looking at Shikamaru questionably. Then he narrowed his eyes.

"Are you suggesting that our family had something to do with this?"

Shikamaru was too weak to stand. All he could do was turn his head up to look at him. "I didn't say that."

"You think just because no one in our family was infected that we must somehow be involved? I can assure you that no one in our family is accountable for this. It goes against our duties. We could never do something that would cause the villagers harm."

"Says the one who wanted to burn them in a warehouse."

Kado grit his teeth. "I did not want that." He unclenched his jaw. "Though, I see why you say it."

"I'm not pointing my finger at you."

Kado sighed. "Then point fingers at no one in my family. We cannot do something that would cause harm to the villagers, which includes creating something with the intention to cause harm to them, indirectly or otherwise. We've all taken an oath never to do such a thing."

"Then why do they fear you so much?" asked Sakura. "I was told that if anyone upsets the noble family, you attack them."

"We don't harm them unless it's provoked."

"Which would be..?" Shikamaru asked from the ground. "That's pretty generic."

"We only do harm to others if they attack us first, be that a verbal insult, a physical assault or something symbolic."

"What do you mean by symbolic?"

Kado folded his arms. "That covers everything from stealing from us to leaving a dead animal carcass on our doorstep. The very act of doing so is a declaration of war."

"What if the person did not intend it that way?" asked Sakura, thinking about her first encounter with them. "What if it was a mistake? People can set each other up, you know."

Kado didn't have an answer for that.

"If you guys weren't so quick to jump to conclusions…"

"Mother says it's respect," Kado muttered.

Sakura stepped closer to hear him. "Huh?"

Kado looked at her. "Mother says that the villagers act the way that they do because they respect us. Those who do not, wish harm on us and are therefore dangerous."

Shikamaru shakily got to his feet. Using his jutsu like that really wore him out.

"You judge people too quickly," he said. "You've got to know their intentions before making a move. That's how you make enemies."

Kado looked at Shikamaru in surprise.

The look Kado gave him took all the words out of Shikamaru's mouth. Kado looked at him as if he had told him a shocking secret. He was stunned, shocked, mystified and hurt. His face showed all of this, even in the size of his wide eyes. Yet, it was the look in his eyes themselves that told Shikamaru something very important: He already knew this.

It looked like Kado had suspected such a thing for a long time and only now was it being conformed.

Kado slowly lowered his gaze, but not out of shame. It was sadness.

"I am the first born," he said quietly but clearly. "Mother groomed me from a young age to be strong. My siblings and I never went to school. We were taught inside the manor walls. Everything from combat to mathematics. Mother was my teacher. Everything she told me I believed."

Kado frowned, remembering something from his past.

"One day, we went for a walk in the village. She said it was our duty to make sure the village was functioning properly. As I walked down the street, I noticed people backing away from us and children being pulled into their homes by their parents. The busy street was suddenly clear. Mother told me they did this because they respected us. They cleared a path for us because we are held in such high honor. I was young and I believed her. In fact, I liked the treatment. It made me feel important. It was only when I tried to make friends with the local children that I learned something. Everything they did was not out of respect but fear."

They feared the family. Kado had run into the same problem as is sister.

"I could not play with the local children and after a while being handed things for free got boring. I now recognized those fearful looks for what they were and didn't like it. It would seem that Mother had taught me yet another lesson, even outside our walls. Knowing I could never befriend any of the local children, I gave up and focused on my studies."

His walks through the village were very educational. Now that he knew they feared the family, he thought it was best to stay away from them.

"Can't you see that by being rash, you're only fueling their fear?"

Kado kept his eyes down. "It's best to just avoid them. Then you don't notice. Besides, I'm acting on Mother's orders. I am not the head of the family yet. She knows more than I do. She is the one teaching me. I must listen to her."

"Even if she's wrong?"

Kado looked offended. He glared at Shikamaru.

"Don't you get it? If you guys didn't approach everything as a form of combat, then you wouldn't scare so many people and they wouldn't fear you so much."

"Mother says that it's best that way," argued Kado. "That if people fear you, they won't hurt you. We must have such a reputation. Otherwise, people will see us as weak and attempt to attack us and our village. If they fear us, they will not try."

"Or they will come to see you as a threat," Shikamaru told him. "And you know what must be done about threats, don't you?"

Kado blinked and his mouth opened.

Threats had to be eliminated. That was how the family dealt with threats. If other people thought the same way they did, then…

"You're a smart guy," Shikamaru told Kado. "I can tell just by talking with you that you're struggling between upholding your family traditions along with the wishes of your mother, and your desire to break away from that and change things for the better."

Kado was trying to improve himself. He was trying to make his mother proud while simultaneously trying to surpass her. He was trying to do better.

He cared about the villagers. He wouldn't be looking for a cure if he didn't. It also seemed to Shikamaru that Kado was trying to curb their fear of the family. He hated the fearful looks they gave his family, so he was trying to do all he could to earn their favor. If he did something good, they might look at him with gratitude rather than fear.

If he saved them, they would not fear him. They would respect him. Maybe even be grateful. If he killed the villagers as his mother ordered, they would fear him and the family even more. Those fears would be warranted. Their fear might then change into something else. Something possibly worse.

They could hate him.

If they hated him, then he would be targeted. Up until now, the people were too afraid. Despite their fear, they believed the noble family would protect them. Killing them wasn't protection. Those who survived would be out for blood. They would turn against the family, believing they weren't protectors. Kado would have to agree with them. Even if it was with the best of intentions, he knew the approach was wrong.

He couldn't let that happen.

"If we harm them, they will not only fear, but hate us." Kado frowned with determination. "I can't let that happen. I want the people to be able to rely on us without fear. It's hard for me to go against my mother, but you're right. I know the difference between right and wrong. If there's another way, I'll take it as long as it saves them. I don't want the villagers we strive to protect to hate our family."

"Some probably already do," Shikamaru said, the gears in his head turning.

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it." Shikamaru addressed both Kado and Sakura. "So far, all the clues have been pointing to the noble family. None of them are infected, so we assumed they were responsible. Maybe that was the idea all along. Maybe the noble family is the target. Maybe someone wanted to frame them for the crime."

"But who would do that?"

"Someone who not only fears but hates you. You said the villagers fear your family. Can you think of anyone who would hate you as well?"

Kado shrugged. "I barely go into the village anymore. When I do, I try to ignore the looks and focus on the street I'm walking on."

"Are you saying that someone wants to blame all this on the noble family in order to make the rest of the village hate them?" asked Sakura.

"That's what I'm thinking now."

"What about the possibility of the villagers themselves being the targets?" she asked him. "Whoever did this has got to know how the noble family would react to a threat like this. They're known for being rash and strike first without asking questions. I bet that person was counting on that and wanted the noble family to hurt the villagers."

"That's another possibility, but who would want to hurt that many villagers? Who could have that many enemies?"

"Someone in my family," said Kado. "I still don't think anyone in my family did it, but I know dealing with the villagers can be pretty emotional. Despite our oath, when I was a child, I would sometimes think of the ways I could get back at them for looking at me in such a way. I never acted on any of it."

"Well, someone did."

"But the villagers aren't our enemies. They're the reason we're in power," said Kado. "We might be rash, but we would know this. Even my brother who loves combat."

Sakura looked at him. "Your brother loves combat?"

"Yes. Ran is proud of his power and seeks to prove himself. But I can't see him doing this just to let off a little steam."

"Unless he wants to create a threat just so he can show off his skills to your mother in order to make her proud," said Shikamaru. "Would he do such a thing?"

Kado shook his head. "No. I don't see how. His science skills are worse than mine. He can't even spell photosynthesis. How could he come up with such a disease?"

"What if he didn't invent it but is helping the person who is?" said Sakura. "I've seen what you guys can do. You've got some great skills. He could have infected the people without them knowing. You guys are fast and nimble. You're like ninja in your own right."

"I still can't see him going against the oath." Kado looked down. "But he does love combat. Would he really help create a threat just to battle against something for the sheer thrill of it? I'd like to think I know my brother to be better than that."

"But you have your doubts?"

Kado didn't answer.

Rather than get new suspects, it was better to eliminate the ones they already had. Shikamaru and everyone besides Naruto thought the Arashi clan were involved in some way. Once everyone was cleared, they could look for other suspects. They had to narrow this down. The sooner they did that, the sooner they would find the real culprit.

"Where is your brother now?" asked Shikamaru.

"Still rounding up the infected villagers."

"I think we should go find him and sort things out. Even if he's not the one responsible, which I hope for your sake he's not, it will help us narrow down the people it could be."

Kado nodded. "Then I'll take you to him. I don't know his exact location, but I'm sure we'll find him if we follow the roars. I just hope he's doing what I hope he's doing."

Kado didn't want to doubt his brother, but he was starting to wonder if Ran was capable of such a thing.

* * *

CLANG!

Thinking he had the element of surprise, Kiba attacked Sayo with a kunai only to find it blocked by a dagger she drew from her belt. She had all the reflexes of a ninja assassin. Confident that his seniority over her would be enough to overpower her still-developing skills, Kiba pushed her back and tried to land another hit on her from the side.

Sayo easily avoided the hit by stepping to the side. When Kiba came at her again, she kicked the kunai from his hand with the heel of her left foot. The kunai flew into the air where she caught it with the same hand that held the dagger.

Kiba grit his teeth. He wasn't expecting any of this. He thought a young noble girl would be easy to overpower, completely ignoring the fact that the entire family lived for combat. Even a young child would have skills worthy of a ninja's respect.

If Shino were present and in his right mind, Kiba was certain he would criticize him for not being more mindful of his opponent's capabilities, ninja or otherwise. Assuming an opponent would be weak was the downfall of any ninja.

Kiba scoffed. Even now, he could hear Shino pointing out Kiba's poor judgment. He could hear Shino telling him there was a distinct difference between confidence and being cocky.

This was only a minor setback. If this girl's skills were on par with a ninja's then he was going to treat her like a ninja.

Kiba whistled. "Now, Akamaru!"

The large dog on her left came flying at her, mouth agape. Sayo stepped back and Akamaru missed. He slid on the stone pathway between exhibits and came at her again. Kiba and Akamaru attacked her together from every direction.

As they were attacking, Kiba noticed that Sayo wouldn't let go of the object in her left hand. Whatever she had must have been important. It could contain the source of the infection.

He wouldn't give her the chance to use it. He and Akamaru went at her with their signature moves. He was going to take her down.

Not expecting Akamaru to turn into Kiba's doppelganger, Sayo was momentarily stunned, allowing Kiba to knock the object out of her hand.

It was a small drawer ripped from its housing. Kiba could still see the number and letter written on its face. She must have been using it as a makeshift box to carry something else, or she couldn't be bothered to short out its contents so she took the whole drawer with her.

Now that the drawer was on the ground, Kiba could clearly see what she was carrying.

Inside were several vials with corks in them. They looked just like the vials used to contain blood for testing. The vials she carried were all full.

"Gotcha!" Kiba shouted, believing he had caught the culprit.

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22:**

Sai gave a wide yawn and stretched out in the grass. Naruto was relieved that Sai had no further interest in the village. As long as Sai was asleep, he would be easier to handle.

Naruto sat with him, staring into the village from the shelter of the forest. He couldn't see any infected people wandering around, but he would hear their faint roars every now and again. It riled Sai, putting him into a fighting mood. Tired of having to sit on him, Naruto tried to keep Sai from storming off by bribing him with jerky from his pocket. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't.

It seemed that Sai was tired of having to fight Naruto repeatedly in order to investigate and had given up altogether in order to nap instead. Even when he heard the people roaring in the distance, Sai would only lift his head, look in that direction, then lower his head and close his eyes. He seemed to be bored over the whole thing by this point.

Naruto wanted to help but he was put in charge of keeping Sai out of trouble. He could use his clones to help his friends for him, but he wanted to be there with them personally. He didn't want his clones to do the work for him. He couldn't leave Sai with a clone either. He wanted to be there for Sai in person, too. He was also concerned about Sai popping his clone which would force Naruto to come running back in order to deal with him. If Sai got riled up again, it might take all of Naruto's clones just to hold him down.

He sighed loudly, wishing there was more he could do.

"I get it," Naruto said to himself. "If I use my clones, I could be seen and we can't let that happen. They don't know I'm here and they want to keep it that way. But Sakura can show herself? If they do what Shikamaru said, at least. What's the harm in me being seen, too? I want to help."

Sai rolled onto his side, snoozing.

"I can't take Sai with me. He freaks out too much and he's the one who really can't be seen. There's got to be a way I can help them. But if Shikamaru already came up with a plan and I go out there, I could ruin what he set up. But what if his plan doesn't work and he needs me to interfere?"

Naruto held his head in his hands, wondering what he should do.

* * *

Shikamaru followed behind the others as they searched for Ran. From the corner of his eye, he saw something move between the buildings to his right. When he looked, he saw an infected person hunting him.

"Guys!"

Sakura and Kado turned and saw the person. Kado reached into his coat and pulled out two needles. He grumbled when he saw them.

"This is all I have left," he told them. "I'm down to these two needles."

"Don't you have more?"

"Back home, but we destroy them after using them on an infected person. Any needles I used before are now gone. All I have are these and the ones I haven't used at home."

"Which means we have to pick which people we paralyze and which we fight another way," Sakura concluded.

Knowing there would be more, Shikamaru went a different way to look for more infected people while Sakura and Kado dealt with the one following them.

He looked behind one building after another and around corners. He knew that one person couldn't have been the only one. During their last encounter, Shikamaru noticed that the infected people cornering them hunted in a pack. If pack hunting animals acted anything like ninja, he knew one would be somewhere around one of these buildings, attacking them from behind while they focused their attention on the one they already knew about.

He found a shed around the next building and thought that would be a good place for one of them to hide. Shikamaru approached with caution and opened the door. No one was inside and no one was behind it.

He was certain one was hiding nearby. Where were they?

As Shikamaru moved away from the shed, something came at him from the side. He threw out his arms to push it away, but he was the one being pushed back.

"Ah!" Shikamaru was forced against the building behind him. Shino was the one attacking him. "Shino, stop!"

He snarled and tried to bite him. Shikamaru pressed his hands against Shino's shoulders, but it wasn't enough. He was too strong. Shikamaru pushed into Shino's stomach with his foot, but it still wasn't enough.

Hoping he had a little chakra left, he tried to use his shadow to pull Shino backwards. His shadow coiled around Shino's torso and pulled. He felt Shino getting further away, but he could also feel him fighting so hard to get closer.

That wasn't the only thing Shikamaru could feel.

"No… My chakra..!"

It was too much.

He lost control of his jutsu and Shino clamped down on his shoulder.

"Ahh!" Shino's teeth were digging into him. He couldn't get Shino off him. Shino pressed Shikamaru into the wall with both hands, ripping into his shoulder with his teeth. The pain was too much, he couldn't help but scream.

A moment later Shino was gone and someone else stood in his place.

Shikamaru slumped to the ground, holding his bleeding shoulder.

"Shikamaru!" came Sakura's voice. "Are you ok?"

He turned his head to the side to look at her and then looked back to see who his savior was. Kado stood in front of Shikamaru with empty hands. He had used all his needles to subdue the others. The only way he could get Shino off Shikamaru was to kick him away.

Shino got to his feet and snarled at Kado.

Fearing Kado would go all-out on Shino, Sakura insisted on taking his place. When Shino lunged, Sakura kicked Shino backwards. It wasn't enough to stop him. Shino came at his new target with a roar. Sakura looked around for a weapon and picked up a hoe that had fallen out of the shed. When Shino lunged at her face, she held the hoe between them, letting him bite on the shaft instead of her neck.

Shino chomped down on the handle of the hoe with his teeth, snarling. He kept coming. Sakura used both hands to keep him at bay, but he continued to come. Her feet started to slide. Not to be thrown off balance, she stiffened her body and pushed Shino back. He started slashing at her with both arms, scratching her. She tried to keep out of reach. As long as the shaft of the hoe was in Shino's mouth, he couldn't bite her. All she had to do was avoid his hands.

"Shino, stop it!"

Shino opened his mouth and jumped backwards, freeing himself. He ducked down and tried to attack Sakura from below. Moving under the hoe, he went for her leg. She kicked him in the chest but he kept coming.

"Move!" shouted Kado, and he kicked Shino as if he were a soccer ball. Shino rolled backwards into the shed and Kado quickly closed the door on him, sealing him in.

Sakura dropped the hoe which had indentations in the wood from Shino's teeth. A human jaw shouldn't have such strength. They could leave marks in wood, but not this deep.

"Are you two ok?" Kado asked.

"Yes," said Sakura.

Shikamaru looked at his shoulder. He was still bleeding. When Kado kicked Shino away, it must have caused the flesh to be torn further. Sakura came over to treat him. She removed his vest and started to pull the collar of his shirt down. The flesh was torn but there were no chunks missing which Shikamaru was worried about. Knowing Shino hadn't removed a portion of his arm was a relief. Even so, the fact that Shino was able to cause this much damage through Shikamaru's Chunin vest was a testament to Shino's jaw strength. He shouldn't have been able to do that.

Kado watched as Sakura set to work healing Shikamaru's wound. He had never seen medical ninjutsu before. It was fascinating. She had already stopped the bleeding and those bitemarks weren't shallow.

Seeing this, Kado was now confident that she would cure all the people of the village and her friends. No one needed to die.

Shino started slamming himself against the shed door, but Kado had locked it. The shed shook violently. Shino slammed himself against the door two more times before the wood started to splinter. After another hit, Shino's arm appeared between a gap in the wood. This wooden box wouldn't be enough to hold him. Even without enhanced strength, a ninja knew how to break wood with their fists and legs.

"It won't hold him," warned Kado. "We must do something else."

Sakura tried to think of a way to restrain Shino without hurting him. "We could tie him up. If we can get him to hold still long enough."

"That I can do," said Kado and moved away from the door.

Shino kicked repeatedly at the door and threw his body against it until it finally broke off its hinges. He set his sights on Sakura and Shikamaru and leapt through the air.

While Shino was in midair, Kado lassoed him around the middle and pulled the rope tight. He yanked Shino away and quickly wrapped the rope around his arms, tying them to his chest. Kado ran in a circle around him until there was hardly any rope left then tied a knot behind his back. Shino couldn't grab anyone with his arms bound like this, but that didn't keep him from trying to bite Kado after the knot was tied. Kado shoved Shino backwards and he fell over. He rolled and kicked like a turtle on its shell, snarling at them. Without use of his hands, it was too difficult for him to get up.

Shikamaru watched Shino struggle, wondering what was going on inside him. The more he watched, the more he became concerned.

"What do we do with him now?" asked Sakura. "Just leave him tied up? I know it might be crude, but maybe we should put him on a leash or something. Just to keep track of him."

"I'm more worried about the strain on Shino at the moment," said Shikamaru.

"Yeah," said Sakura. "He's so much stronger now. I don't remember him ever being this strong. The infection must have enhanced his physical strength. But we already established that it's all artificial. If that's the case, then what's this strength doing to Shino's body? I'm worried it might cause damage to his muscles."

"I'm worried about his state of mind," said Shikamaru. "He seems to be in a state of constant rage. Imagine the stress that's putting on his body as well."

"His blood pressure and organs. You're right," said Sakura. "I hadn't thought of that until now."

"What if he's not enraged?" asked Kado. "You said he's like an animal now. What if he's just an animal on the hunt? This might not be rage at all."

"This looks like rage right now," said Shikamaru. "We tied him up. I bet he's under stress now."

"Should I let him go?" Kado asked with no intention of doing so. Shino would only attack them again.

"No, but…" Shikamaru tried to think of a solution.

"Kado!" Ran dropped down from one of the roofs. "What are you doing with these people? They are from the ninja village, aren't they?"

"Yes, they are. They've come to…" Kado looked at them, thinking of how to phrase it. Thankfully, he was talking to his younger brother and not his mother and therefore had an easier time of it. "They've come to assist us."

"Assist?" Ran scoffed. "Tell them to go right back where they came from. We're doing fine on our own. Always have."

Kado would not back down. He was raised not to. "They are staying. I've allowed them to assist us."

Ran spun around. "And you think you have the authority to decide something like that?"

"I am eldest. I will inherit the position of head of the family before you or Sayo. Mother is grooming me to take the position. I think I not only have a say, but a right to enforce my decision."

He was speaking like a leader already.

Ran and the others could already tell that his verbose way of speaking merely translated to him saying 'I'm older, so there' to his brother.

Ran wasn't having it.

"Generations of us doing things for ourselves, never once asking for help or accepting help from others, and you think in your twenty years of wisdom that you can change it all and uproot our family's history? Our traditions? Our rules?"

"Our rules state that we must protect the village and its people from threats. Nowhere does it actually say that we cannot accept help from others."

"It doesn't have to say it," Ran argued. "We already know it. Our family was appointed to power because no one else came close to our strength. If we accept help from others, then we are not as strong as the people think and will no longer be worthy of our position. They will no longer respect us."

"And they do now?" questioned Kado. "What I see in their eyes is not reverence, but fear."

"So what?" said Ran. "I don't mind it. What do we care? We spend most of our time at home. We do not have to see their faces. They go inside anyway."

"I care. To be honest, it gets lonely. Aren't you lonely, Ran?"

"Of course not. Why would I be?" Ran folded his arms. "People just get in the way of things. I've seen children fight with their friends. A simple argument can result in them throwing away their entire friendship. Over a little disagreement. Friendships are easily unraveled by something as simple as an unwillingness to share a toy. Girls throw friendships away over a boy. Who needs that? As far as I'm concerned, friendships are very unstable. Why would anyone want something like that?"

Kado looked down. "I've tried to tell myself I didn't need anyone other than my family. That I could not trust anyone else. That I could always trust my family because of our bonds. But I am starting to see that it is not the villagers we cannot trust, but the villagers who cannot trust us."

"We've kept them safe all these years, haven't we?"

"But we've allowed this infection to take place. It started in our village and we could not stop it. We are trying to stop it by killing anyone who is infected. You think they will trust us after this?"

"I don't care about trust, brother!" snapped Ran. "Can't you see that we live in different places? Same village, different worlds. We protect the villagers. It doesn't mean that we must be friends with them."

Kado looked at the ground. "That isn't good enough for me anymore."

Ran uncrossed his arms and let them drop to his sides. "What are you saying, brother?"

Kado lifted his gaze. "I can no longer ignore their looks, Ran. I wish to be seen as something different. Something that won't produce looks of fear."

"Why would you want to change that?" asked Ran. "I like those looks. To me, that is respect. They know better than to mess with us. Even Mother says that as long as they fear us, they will not try to harm us. Once they see a more tender side, they will see us as weak and try to overthrow us. They will attack us. We cannot show weakness. It is better to be feared."

"I am tired of doing things by ourselves. I've gotten so used to it. I've tried to ignore certain things. I've immersed myself in my studies, but it is not enough. Not anymore." Kado gestured to Sakura and Shikamaru. "We've accomplished more together than we have by ourselves. Their teamwork…"

"We have teamwork," argued Ran. "We've grown up together, raised the same, have the same roots. What better teamwork and bonding do you need other than family? Who better to understand you? We are the same. That consistency makes us strong. Blood is thicker than water, brother. You think some stranger is going to understand you better than your own family? We can read each other so much better."

"But that limits you," said Sakura. "If you all have the same skill set, then if something doesn't work, no one in your group will be able to do anything. You need a variety. It's better to be different. In combat, if something doesn't work, then you have a backup. Something will work."

"Shut up!" Ran snapped.

"She is right, Ran. We've been doing the same thing over and over and little has come from it. If there are different people with different skills, then we have options."

"We have an arsenal of weapons back home."

"I'm not talking about weapons. I'm talking about people. We've been taught to think one way. These ninja think a different way. Combined, we might make progress."

Ran gave a weary chuckle. "I cannot believe you would allow yourself to be so easily corrupted. All these years, and never a complaint. Then these ninja come along and suddenly you want to change things."

"I've kept it to myself for years because of what Mother would do if she were to find out. She wants us to be strong. She would not want us to waver in any way. Even thinking things could be different would be a sign of wavering to her. Even to ask for help is a sign that you doubt your own strength."

"And we've always gotten by on our own strength, brother. Us, Kado." Ran pointed to his own chest with his finger. "We don't need anyone else. We are strong by ourselves. Why would you doubt that?"

"I am not doubting that we are strong. I'm simply saying that things could be better if we combine our strength with others. And I'm also saying that things can be better in the village. If we are not harsh to the villagers, perhaps they will revere us like in the old days. It's only in recent years that we've pushed them away and kept them at arm's length."

"That is their place, brother. It's us and them. We are the protectors. That is our job. They are villagers. It is their job to be protected. We do not have to be friends."

Kado shook his head. "Aren't you the least bit curious what that would be like? To befriend someone outside of the family?"

"No," said Ran. "I've already told you that friendships are unstable. Things to be given up at the drop of a hat. One fight and suddenly they don't like you anymore. When that happens, they know all your secrets and can use them against you. You told your friend that you had a fear of snakes and the day after the friendship ends, there's a snake on your doorstep."

"Not everyone is vindictive."

"And what about while you are friends?" asked Ran. "Suddenly, you have to share everything. Play the games you don't want to play because they want to. It's just so much easier to be by yourself. To do things on your own, how you want to, when you want to. No sharing, no compromises. Just whatever you want to do. That sounds so much better, doesn't it?"

"It sounds lonely to me," said Sakura.

"Not at all," insisted Ran. "I have two siblings and parents to give me all the attention I want. How could I be lonely with a house full of people?"

Sakura knew better. "Even with siblings, you've never felt lonely?"

"Not at all."

"You've never talked to a stuffed animal when you were little or had an imaginary friend?"

Ran's face turned red.

"You did, didn't you?"

"Shut up!" Ran shouted.

"It's ok," said Sakura, giving him a reassuring smile. "Lots of kids do that because it makes them feel like they have control in a world where almost everything is out of their control."

"I said shut up!" Ran raised a dagger and Kado grabbed his arm.

"You do not have to feel shame for such a thing. Children talk to stuffed animals."

"I am not six years old anymore, Kado!"

"But you did," Kado said firmly. "Mother would never allow us to play with imaginary friends, so you talked to your stuffed rhino when you were little in secret. I know, I saw you do it."

"Shut up! It was a phase!"

"I never told her because I knew she would hit you. She would scold you, telling you to focus on what was real. To not waste your time with imaginary things."

"And I don't do it anymore!"

"You still keep that rhino under you bed. Your childhood keepsake."

Ran's face burned red again. "I'm eighteen years old! I don't need toys anymore!"

"Mother kept us on a short and tight leash," said Kado. "She still does. What is acceptable and what is not. From childhood, she controlled everything we did. When we got up, what we ate, how we trained. She allowed us to play, but didn't allow us much imagination. No talking to things that couldn't talk back. No imaginary friends. She wanted us to be tough, not creative. No open minds in this family."

Ran pulled his hand free. "I don't care anymore," he said. "I told you, I've grown up. I got tired of playing with toys and talking to that rhino. I love combat. I like to fight. I enjoy it. Part of me is glad this happened to the village because now I get to show off my skills."

"To impress Mother?"

Ran glared at him.

Kado's face softened slightly. "You like that the people have become this way?"

Ran looked away. "Only in the sense that I get to fight. But this is where friendships complicate things. Since I don't have any close bonds with the villagers, it's easier for me to fight them. If I cared…"

Kado studied his brother's face for a long time, reading him.

"You still have it."

Ran looked up. "Have what?"

"The rhino. You kept it."

That alone told Kado that his brother still had that innocence about him. That his still had love in his heart. He cared. Maybe not about the villagers, but he cared.

If he stopped looking at their duties as business and wanted to protect them because he cared about them, he might be better at his job. They all would be.

These ninja from the Leaf Village came all this way to help their friend. They were working so hard and weren't going to stop until they saved him. All of them. They weren't going for the easy way out and they weren't giving up, even when they were told it was hopeless.

There was a better way.

If they came to care for the villagers the same way these ninja cared about their friends, they would get stronger. Not for the sake of duty, but out of compassion.

To bond rather than distance themselves. It would make their jobs more emotional, but that didn't have to be a bad thing. It would make them work harder.

"Ran…" Kado put his hand on Ran's shoulder, gently turning him around. "Would it not be better if you could fight and hear the villagers cheering for you?"

Ran looked at him curiously.

To fight and have people cheering him on? That never happened. To have the villagers see him as strong and appreciate him for it? Also, unheard of.

He started to envision what such a thing would be like. Where people were proud of him. Recognized his strength and knew they could count on him. To revere him.

He had gotten so used to the people's fear that he had come to see that as a form of respect. His mother told him it was.

"Combat without reason is just violence," said Kado. "I'd rather have the villagers look at us differently. Not as weaklings or as something to be feared, but as people they can rely on and respect. Like in our clan's past. They respected our ancestor so much, they appointed him to power. I wouldn't mind seeing what that was like."

He didn't have to be friends with them, but Kado did have a point. He wouldn't mind showing off his power to the villagers and have them admire him for it. That was how he saw it.

"I'd rather their fear not turn to hate," Kado finished.

Ran looked at him again. "Hate? You think their fear would bring about hate?"

"If they do come to hate us, that might make them turn against us. If they respect us, they wouldn't want to."

Ran thought a moment. "Do you think Mother would see it that way?"

Kado shrugged. "One thing at a time. We can try to convince Mother later. Right now, can I convince you to work with these village ninja to help save our people?"

Ran looked at Shikamaru and Sakura. He was still unsure about this. He had never received help before. Even his mother would refuse to help him while training, telling him to keep at it until he got it right. She would show him what to do and then expect him to do it. His siblings would help him on occasion and it was much easier. Faster, too.

Ran sighed and put the dagger back on his belt. "Ok, what are we doing?"

Pleased Ran was going to help them, Sakura filled him in on what they told Kado, leaving out that he was a suspect.

"What about him?" Ran pointed to Shino who was still glaring at them.

"We can either take him with us or leave him here."

"I'm all out of needles," said Kado. "If we come across any other infected villagers, we'll have to find another way to deal with them."

"But this girl can cure them?" Ran asked, pointing to Sakura.

"I believe she can, yes. I have seen her skills. She is good."

Shikamaru thought of something. "Where's Hinata? I think she can help us subdue the villagers."

"Wasn't she staying near the warehouse?"

"I didn't see her when we were there. She must have run off."

"Then let's find her." Sakura secured a second rope to Shino's binds which would act as a leash. Shino kicked and rolled onto his feet. He stumbled a little, but managed to stand and tried to run from her. The rope pulled tight, keeping him from doing so. He circled around and tried to ram her with his body, but she kept moving.

With Shino secured, they started their search for Hinata. Shino was less than willing to cooperate with them, but he had little choice. Every time he tried to run, the rope would hold him back. He couldn't do much in ways of attacking them bound like this. All he could do was walk with them, strapped to a leash.

Ran watched the ninja walking in front of them with a soft scowl. He didn't dislike them, but he didn't like them either. He wasn't sure how he felt about them.

The ninja back at the village entered his mind for the first time since they left the Leaf. He and his siblings had been moving so quickly, they barely had time to notice subtle details, like faces and weapons. They paralyzed them and moved on. Looking back, he noticed something about the civilians who lived there.

When the ninja were taken down, the people looked worried. They looked fearful for them, not of them. When the ninja moved in for an attack, the people stood by and watched, confident in their abilities. Before and after the ninja were taken down, not once did any of the people give them hateful looks. The ninja they ambushed were talking with the civilians, chatting like equals.

It was a strange sight. Civilians could talk that way to each other, but to someone in a different rank? It wasn't like that in this village. The civilians talked that way to each other, but when they noble family showed up, people had the tendency to stop speaking.

What on earth would they talk about anyway? What common interests could they possibly have? Same village, two different worlds.

Ran had little interest in having a conversation with them anyway. He liked that they were intimidated by them. Keeping them in their place through fear. He enjoyed it.

He lived for combat. He liked to fight. They were raised on it. Sometimes he unleashed all his frustrations through it, sometimes he just did it for the sheer enjoyment.

Taking down these infected villagers was fun for him. It was something to do. Taking down all those ninja was fun for him, too. Any excuse to fight.

Trust or lack thereof had nothing to do with it. He only agreed to help the ninja because they would lead him to a fight, even if it meant taking them out once all the villagers were taken care of. He just wanted to fight.

Their conversation did cause him to think about things he had given little thought to before.

"Kado."

His brother turned his head. "Yes?"

Ran watched his feet as he walked behind the ninja. "I don't care about the villagers the way you do. For me, it is just business. I see no reason to form any kind of bond with them. Family is the only bond I need."

Kado didn't take his eyes off Ran. "If that is your way."

"But…" Ran kept his gaze down. "I did consider something I hadn't before."

"Yes?"

"If we do dispose of the villagers the way Mother had planned and the rest of the village comes to hate us and attacks, it means more combat for us because they will be a threat. If that turns into a cycle of revenge and hate, then… eventually, there will be no one left in the village. If that happens, what becomes of us? We were appointed to power in order to protect the people of this village. With no people, who do we protect? What is our purpose?"

Kado nodded. "I had considered the same thing. If we dispose of the people, there will be less villagers. It goes beyond the moral conundrum I was facing before about killing those we were supposed to protect. That is why I believe we must seek an alternative. There must be another way to handle this."

Ran looked at him. "Mother will never go for it. I shudder to think of the punishment we will receive if she finds out about our disobedience."

"That is why we are sneaking at the moment. Once this is over, I hope to have a talk with Mother on the subject. I hope she will listen to me."

Ran cracked a smile. "Phrasing it that way sounds awful. Having a talk with her. You hear it, don't you?"

"Yes, I suppose putting it that way does make it sound like I'm showing her disrespect. I intend no such thing. Perhaps if I say I wish to speak with her on the matter. Does that sound better?"

"Better." Ran's smile broadened. "I have to say, sneaking around like this is pretty fun. Kind of thrilling."

Kado grinned. "I suppose going behind Mother's back does have its appeal. Like with the rhino."

"That was simple. And I was a child. This is on a much larger scale." Ran gave Kado a serious look. "But Mother will find out about this eventually. If the warehouse plan does not happen…"

"She will know we disobeyed. Yes, I'm aware." Kado sighed. "This is a big village. I doubt anything that goes on in this place goes unnoticed for long. Mother will find out about it."

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23:**

Kiba tried to get the vials away from her. Sayo stepped in front of them, blocking him with her leg. Kiba tried to go around her, but she kicked him in the chest with her other leg. Kiba skidded to a stop and came charging at her again.

"Let's go, Akamaru!"

Akamaru joined him.

"Fang Over Fang!"

Sayo saw the attack and jumped away. She carefully aimed her dagger into the cyclones and struck. Kiba tumbled out of his attack with a dagger in his shoulder. Akamaru stopped to check on him. Kiba pulled the dagger free and threw it at Sayo. She caught it in midair and threw it back at him. The tip landed just short of his leg. Kiba picked it up and held it. He got up and ran straight at Sayo with the dagger in his fist.

An elephant trumpeted somewhere nearby, causing Sayo to look away from Kiba. Seeing his chance, Kiba struck at her stomach.

"Hold on," Sayo told him, holding up her hand. "Stop!"

"Yeah, right!" Kiba followed through, but the attack didn't land. Sayo grabbed his wrist before he could.

"I told you to wait. We're upsetting the animals."

Kiba pulled away but she wouldn't let go. He tried to pry her fingers off him but she was pretty strong. "Let go of me!"

"We can't fight here," Sayo said firmly. "We're upsetting the animals."

"So what?" Kiba kicked her in the leg. "I ain't done yet!"

Sayo took the hit but it wasn't enough to get her off balance. She grabbed Kiba with her other hand and flipped him over her shoulder, throwing him on his back. She knelt over him and pointed the dagger she retrieved from him to his chest.

"If I wanted to kill you, I would have by now. Never underestimate the noble family's power." She stood up, returning the dagger to her belt. "I told you, we can't fight here. The animals are getting upset. We can't do that."

Kiba rolled to his feet, but remained crouching. "You think I'm going to fall for that? You're just trying to get me to leave an opening for you."

"You attacked me," Sayo told him.

"And you attacked me. It's called a fight."

"You attacked me first," Sayo pointed out. "You threw the first punch, so I attacked back. It's called self-defense."

Kiba paused. "Ok… But it still doesn't change the fact that you're here sneaking around."

"Who's sneaking?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips. "I was walking around in plain sight. You were the one who was sneaking. I come here all the time. What are you doing here?"

"Finding the person responsible for that!" Kiba pointed to the vials on the ground. "You're using poison or something to make the people sick. I caught you red-handed."

Sayo looked at the vials. "This?" she asked, pointing.

"That's right."

Sayo bent down and picked up a flask. Fearing she was about to use it on him, Kiba got ready. She popped the cork on the flask in her hand and Kiba rushed forward in an attack.

Sayo dumped the contents into her palm and held it up to show him.

Kiba stopped just short of striking her, staring at her hand.

Dead crickets.

"I was feeding the animals," she explained. "This is for the reptile exhibit. Same with those."

Kiba looked down at the vials on the ground. He picked up one and looked through the glass. This close, he could see the live bugs scuttling inside. Another vial held tiny red berries and nuts.

"Oh."

Sayo dumped the crickets back into the flask in her hand and corked it. "What did you think I was doing?"

"Uh… Well…"

"Most of the workers have been infected and put in quarantine and the zookeeper vanished. Someone has to take care of the animals."

Kiba looked at Akamaru, signaling that it was ok for him to change back into a dog.

"I thought you were still at the Leaf. What are you doing here?"

"I was at the Leaf Village. Then I realized there was no one here to care for the animals, so I rushed back here. They can't get their own food. Someone has to feed them or they'll all starve. I wasn't about to let that happen."

"Why didn't you tell anyone?" Kiba asked.

"Tell who?" she asked. "The ninja in your village don't care what I'm doing. And I can't tell my family. Mother would never approve. She doesn't even know I come here all the time. It's a secret. If I were to report back to my family, I would be put to work at once. I wouldn't have the chance to come here. I had to come here first, take care of the animals, then report to my mother."

That was why no one knew she was back in the village. Her reasons made sense.

"Sorry," said Kiba. "Misunderstanding."

"You think I would poison animals?" Sayo asked him. "Why would you think such a thing?"

"I, uh… To be honest, it wasn't the animals I thought you were… Never mind."

Sayo gathered the vials and put them back in the metal drawer. Kiba helped her.

He wasn't sure if this cleared Sayo's name completely, but he felt bad for misjudging her. She was only trying to help.

Since the members of the noble family did as they wished, he supposed Sayo coming here on a regular basis was reasonable. Naruto explained that she loved the animals because they didn't judge her based on her family. She even helped the zookeeper which meant she knew where certain items were located. This didn't mean she had to be the culprit, but it didn't absolve her either.

"Sorry for the misunderstanding," said Kiba. Still on the fence of whether to trust her or not, Kiba decided to engage her in conversation in order to find out more. He would follow her to see if she did anything strange. He wanted to make it appear like he was on her side and no longer suspected her in order to get her to trust him more. Maybe then, if she was involved, she would slip up and reveal what was really going on.

If anything happened to him, Akamaru could run off and inform the others. Even if he couldn't talk to them, his signals should suffice and they would understand.

Kiba thought it was a clever plan and was certain it would work. However, in the back of his mind, he kept hearing Shino telling him he wasn't a good actor and needed to play his cards close to the vest. This made him question how he should play this.

He thought if he was obvious and didn't hold back any questions, the girl wouldn't think he still suspected her because the questions were too upfront. The more obvious he was being, the less suspicious he would be in her eyes. Like hiding in plain sight.

He thought it was a good idea, but now he could hear Shino telling him being too obvious would give him away. He shouldn't show his hand, even if he was certain he would win. That was no way to bluff.

With that in mind, Kiba tried to find a balance between the two.

Shino was very good at hiding and yet he still got infected. Maybe if he had been out in the open, he wouldn't have because the assailant was looking for people sneaking around. If they were just walking around, then they probably weren't sneaking and therefore had nothing to worry about. But at the same time, all those people were infected as well, including Sai and he wasn't sneaking around at the time.

Was there any way for him to guarantee that he wouldn't be infected? Was there a single path he could take or was it just luck?

Kiba shook his head. He was overthinking it which wasn't like him. The fear of Shino being stuck in this state for the rest of his life was starting to get to him. Now, instead of him lecturing Kiba as he stood beside him, Shino was in his head pointing out flaws in his otherwise brilliant plan.

Perhaps it wasn't the fear of never hearing Shino lecture him again, but rather his friend's advice rubbing off on him.

"Great," muttered Kiba. "Even when he's not there, I can still hear him nagging me."

"What's that?" asked Sayo, standing up.

"Uh, nothing." Kiba stood as well, handing her the last of the fallen vials. "Listen, do you mind if I tag along? I've never been here before and I want to see how you feed the animals. I mean, you're not a worker, so it must be different."

Sayo didn't mind having company and agreed to show him around.

This was good. Sayo didn't suspect a thing. Since she didn't, there was no need for him to say anything else hoping to throw her off. Then she might suspect something.

Regardless, Kiba was going to stick to his plan. He had to keep an eye on her and find out more information.

* * *

When the group found Hinata, she was using her Gentle Fist to subdue the infected people attacking her. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to keep them from moving for long. She was trying to strike their nerves so it would be too painful for them to move. Some were unable to move their arms and legs but still found the strength to attack. Others could not stand the pain and tried to move away from her.

"She can't handle them all by herself," said Kado.

Shino pulled on the rope binding him, snapping in Hinata's direction. He wanted to attack her, too.

"Shouldn't she be able to stop them from moving by striking them?" asked Sakura.

Shikamaru watched what Hinata was doing, trying to analyze what was happening. "I think it's only half-effective. See? Some of them can't move and others can. I think it has something to do with the infection."

"They can put up a resistance?"

Shikamaru shook his head. "I'm not sure. I think it has something to do with their strength increasing. My jutsu can normally hold back a person for a while, even if they're strong and struggling. But as you saw, they were able to pull against me hard enough to break the jutsu. They're stronger than they should be. Which means Hinata's Gentle Fist is only working half as well as it normally would."

"It's an internal thing," Sakura reasoned. If she were able to study them more closely, she was certain she could find evidence of this. But what sort of infection could cause a human's muscles to grow exponentially?

It wasn't natural. If the infection effected muscle mass, then it could cause great damage to the infected people. The strain would be too much. It was more than just their mental state putting stress on their body. The body itself was in danger of eroding if this continued.

A human body could not withstand this much stress without a break. The combination was killing them.

Hinata brought down another infected person and stopped to catch her breath. She had been fighting for some time and she was having a hard time keeping up with these people and the power they possessed.

Shikamaru told everyone to move in and tie up the infected people on the ground. They bound the people as quickly as possible.

Hinata explained that she tried to lure them all to a single location and tried to keep them from moving but it wasn't working as well as she had hoped. After taking a look around, she was confident that these were all the infected people.

"Where is our mother?" asked Ran.

Hinata shook her head. "I'm not sure. I haven't seen her nearby."

"We must explain what's going on," said Kado. "I will be the one to tell her what we've decided."

Ran tossed the dagger from his belt into the air, catching it as if it were a baton. "Fine by me. It's your head."

Kado ignored him, but everyone kept their eyes on the dagger he was tossing one-handed. When he saw their gazes, he stopped, catching the dagger without looking.

"I still thinking it would be easier to kill them," said Ran. "But you had some good points. No villagers means no village. Where would we be without a village to protect?"

"Do you care about anyone other than what you can gain from them?" asked Sakura.

Ran glared at her. "I told you before, I don't care about the villagers. I just like to fight. Training with the same people gets boring. A part of me is glad this happened so I can use my skills and have a little fun. If you think less of me for that, that's your problem."

"And saying things like that isn't supposed to make you a suspect in our eyes?" Sakura asked, folding her arms. "Shouldn't you be trying to clear your name, not make it easier for us to pin this whole thing on you?"

Although, the fact that he was so upfront about it did make him appear to be less of a suspect and more of a jerk. A suspect would be trying to hide, not call attention to himself.

Kado was being helpful, but Sakura was certain he wasn't responsible because he admitted to trying to cure the people long before he knew the ninja were watching them. Ran was with him. Shino even checked the building they were using and found nothing condemning.

If it wasn't the sons, then it must have been either the parents or the daughter. Naruto was positive that she wasn't involved, so it must have been the parents.

The more she thought about it, the less the father fit into the puzzle. He had no reason to do this.

From what they heard, the father was from the village and was a farmer. He had to enter a tournament to win the right to marry the daughter of the noble family. He won, married into the family, and raises their children in the mansion. Aside from that, he didn't do much of anything. Even his sons described him as a figurehead and not much else. He had no say in how they ran the village and could not change rules. He was only there to help make the next generation since his wife was an only child and the noble family would die with her. Other than ensuring the bloodline, he didn't have a greater purpose since he wasn't a blood relative.

This left the mother.

Ran scoffed and Sakura was shaken from her thoughts.

"If this girl is a doctor, then why hasn't she done anything to cure them? What do you need?"

"I need the source of the infection," she said. "It's not enough to simply draw their blood. Since it didn't show up on any test, we don't know what to look for. If we have the infection itself, it will be easier. More precise."

"The problem is we don't know where it is," said Shikamaru.

Shino snarled and tried to bite him, but Shikamaru spun, still holding the rope and Shino simply circled him until he no longer wished to strike.

"We have to cure them otherwise the infection will kill them," said Sakura.

"How do you know that?" asked Ran.

"Being under emotional stress is bad for you physically," she explained. "These people are in a constant state of rage which is putting strain on their bodies. We also know that they're stronger than normal, so I believe their bodies have been enhanced. This unnatural strength is damaging their bodies. It's as if they're constantly flexing their muscles and those muscles are larger than usual. Those things combined will eventually tear their bodies apart."

Ran sighed. "So if the warehouse thing doesn't kill them, they'll die anyway."

"Then we have to work fast!" said Hinata. "We have to save Shino and Sai!"

"What's the point?" asked Ran. "They're going to die anyway."

"No," said Kado. "Not if we cure them. Girl in pink, how long do you think it will take for them to succumb to the infection?"

Sakura shrugged. "It could take a few days, I suppose."

"She sounds uncertain," said Ran. "Should we really take her word for it?"

"I trust her. Besides, this means their fate is not imminent. There is still time to find a cure and give it to them."

Ran looked away. "But you still don't know so much. I wouldn't bother doing something that takes so long."

"You train, don't you?"

"That's different." Ran looked at Sakura. "I agreed to help, but there's still a part of me that thinks I'm a fool for trying to help people who don't care about us."

"Just because they're scared of you doesn't mean they don't care about you."

Ran turned his back on her. "If they think we're monsters, why should we bother? There is no changing their mind once it's made up."

Kado put his hand on his brother's shoulder. "You don't know that-"

Ran slapped his hand away. "No matter what we do, they will eventually come to hate us, won't they?"

In his eyes, Ran held such anger and sorrow. Sakura recalled seeing the same expression in Naruto's eyes when Gaara died. A pain they both shared. Sorrow and regret for being unable to save someone he had a connection with. Naruto's eyes only regained their light when Gaara was revived.

What would bring back Ran's light? He was convinced that the people would never be on friendly terms with them, so what was the point?

"If we kill them as we planned, the village will hate us," Ran continued. "If we try to save them but take too long and they die, the village will hate us. No matter what we do, they will hate us. Even with our best intentions, they will hate us. What is the point? They will never change their minds. Such feelings don't change."

"That is not true," said Sakura.

She could see that Ran was similar to Naruto and Gaara. He had no beast inside him other than the one he created. If he didn't see there were possibilities, then he might become worse. He needed a purpose. He needed hope.

"I know someone who was hated and feared by his own village. He worked hard and now he's the leader of his village. Not only that, but the people love him. He changed. The people changed their minds about him. Their feelings changed. Don't you see? It's not hopeless. Even if the people have only fear for you, it's not always going to be that way. You have to aspire to change it."

Kado was in agreement. He gave his brother a hopeful look, praying that he would give hope a try and change how the villagers saw them.

Ran looked down. "He became a leader, huh?" He frowned. "But we were always leaders. Could the same thing be applied to us, or is it too late because we're already in power?"

"I think the lesson holds true for us, regardless," said Kado. "Even if you are uncertain, I will try. I don't want the villagers to see us this way forever. I will try and I will show you that it is possible."

Ran raised his head to look at him.

Ran gave a tiny gasp and his eyes went wide with fright.

Something was behind him.

Kado turned around and his eyes went wide as well.

"M- Mother."

All eyes were on her. She paid little attention to the ninja staring at her, focusing her attention on her two sons.

She never looked pleased, but this look was worse than her usual scowl. She looked outraged.

* * *

Gasp.

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	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24:**

"What is the meaning of this?" Sukiyumi asked her boys, both of whom had become silent. "Well?"

Kado bit his lip while Ran looked like a statue.

"Explain yourselves," she demanded. "What are these people doing here and what have you been up to? Speak!"

Kado's heart was beating fast. To avoid punishment, he wanted to tell her that everything was under control. He wanted to tell her that the ninja had only just arrived and that he and Ran were about to fight them. Anything was better than the truth.

Seeing how petrified Kado was of his own mother, Sakura tried to help. "Lady Sukiyumi, we were-"

"Silence!" She threw a dagger at Sakura which missed and hit the building behind her. That was her only warning shot. "You have no place in this village. Go home! This is a matter for us, not you. Leave!"

Seeing his mother go after the only medic who might be able to help save the villagers, Kado got up his courage and spoke to his mother.

"M- Mother, please, I…" Kado mustered his courage.

He was next in line. His mother had been grooming him for years in how to speak in a manner worthy of a noble.

"Mother, these ninja offered their assistance in this endeavor." Kado forced himself to speak and already regretted it. However, another part of him felt relieved once he let those words loose from his lips. It felt good. He even felt more confidence come into him.

Sukiyumi glared at him. "They will return to their village."

"Mother, I took them up on the offer. I said they could help us-"

A hard slap across the face silenced him.

Ran shut his eyes tightly, unable to watch. He knew she would not stop at a simple slap if he continued.

"We do not accept help from others. We do it on our own! Always have, always will."

Pressing a hand to his stinging cheek, Kado braved his mother's wrath again.

"Mother, I think we should make an exception. They have-"

She struck him again. Ignoring the pain on both sides of his face, Kado continued.

"They have proven themselves to be useful in this endeavor and I think it wise to allow them to-"

His mother struck him several times, pulling his hands away from his face so she could inflict more pain.

"Enough!" she shouted. "Accept help from no one. We will do this ourselves!"

Kado managed to stay standing, but his face was as red as Sakura's shirt. "Mother-"

"I will not hear another word about it."

He disobeyed his mother. "They have a medic. I believe she can help save the village."

In a fit of rage, Sukiyumi grabbed Kado by the hair and threw him to the ground. She started kicking him in the ribs while he curled up to protect himself.

"We… do not… accept… help… from… others!" she said with each kick. "We will save the village… on… our… own! Without help!"

Sakura watched wide-eyed as Kado was beaten in front of her. She was too stunned to do anything but watch. She couldn't believe a mother would do this to her son.

When Sukiyumi took her foot away, Kado got to his knees and from there to his feet.

"Forgive me, Mother…" he said with his head bowed.

Sukiyumi seemed satisfied that Kado had learned his lesson. "You know our rules. Send these ninja home and we will continue."

Kado's lower lip trembled. "No, Mother."

Ran took cover by a building.

Sukiyumi glared at her eldest son. "What?"

"I ask your forgiveness, not for asking for help, but for disobeying you. I'm sorry, but I cannot carry out that order."

Sukiyumi raised her hand again, but Kado did not cower.

"Hit me as many times and you like, Mother. I do not care if I am out of line. I cannot ignore the one thing that could help save our village when it is staring back at us. Even if it means accepting help from others, why should we refuse? Isn't the fate of our village more important? Isn't our duty to our people?"

She did not strike him. She kept her hand where it was, hovering in the air.

"If it means saving our village, why can't we accept help from those who offer it?"

"Because it is our duty," she explained. "If they help, then we are not protecting our village. They are. We must do it on our own."

"But when we become ill, you still seek help from a doctor. How is this any different?"

She used her open palm to strike him again, but it was not as severe as the others.

"Because that has to do with medicine. Not protection. We protect the village. That is our duty."

"But if the villagers are sick, then wouldn't they need a doctor's help?" Kado gestured to Sakura. "She is a medic. She can help save the village. If we put our skills together…"

"Our village, our problem."

"But if we don't know how to cure them, then the villagers will die!" Kado shouted. "Mother, I am sorry, but we cannot let that happen. These people-"

"Are beyond help."

"Just because we cannot cure them doesn't mean that they are beyond help. Mother, please, see reason. The people can be cured. We can't just kill them because we don't know how to deal with them. Someone else can."

"So I am to leave our people in the hands of a stranger?"

"If it means saving their lives, then yes!" Kado was finally able to talk to his mother without fear. He was able to speak his mind and let her know how he felt. "I know you've explained it to us back at home, but it's wrong. It's wrong if there is another way. If we kill the villagers, we're going against our oath."

"But they have become a threat, which, according to our laws, is punishable by death."

"Only if they are willing to become a threat," argued Kado. "These people have no idea what they're doing. They are not in control of their actions, therefore, aren't a threat we need to kill. We kill people who choose to be threats. These people have no choice; therefore, they are in need of help, not punishment. They are just sick. We cannot kill sick people."

Kado's words were enough to stop her momentarily. His logic made sense. If that was the case, then they would be murderers.

Seeing how well Kado was doing, Ran came out of hiding and stepped closer. He was impressed Kado was able to make their mother pause and give the situation more thought. They had always blindly done as she said. Now Kado was talking back.

No, not talking back. Reasoning.

"I witnessed this girl's abilities," Kado went on. "I am sure she will be able to help us find a cure. We need only help her. We must help each other."

Sukiyumi frowned. "We have never asked for help and we're not going to start now."

"For the good of the village, maybe we should."

"Enough. We will handle this. We will find a way on our own."

"But, Mother, if they have answers…"

Sukiyumi glared at him. "If we do not do it ourselves, then we did not save the village. Someone else did. If that's the case, then we must relinquish our power to them and they shall become to new noble family to care for the village. It is our duty, our issue. Send them home."

"But we're not interested in taking your position," said Hinata. "We have our own village. We're not interested in yours."

"That's right," said Sakura. "If it's that hard for you, then think of us as tools you're using to get the job done. Is that easier for you?"

Sukiyumi ignored Hinata, choosing to glare at Sakura instead. "It is none of your concern. You have no business here."

"Actually, we do. Two of our friends have been infected. If we work together, we can cure everyone. Just let us do that and we'll be one our way."

Even amidst all the good reasons and offers, Sukiyumi still refused.

"It is the duty of the noble family. We will handle this."

"So if it isn't done with your own power, you'll let your people die?" asked Sakura, clenching her fists. "That's terrible."

"Would your village leader go to other lands to ask for help with an issue in your village?" asked Sukiyumi.

"Yes!" said Sakura, still unable to believe this woman's stubbornness. "She has asked for help from other villages when dealing with an issue in ours. She has!"

"Then she is weak," Sukiyumi said with a scoff. "Your leader is unreliable. How can your village trust matters to your leader if she is unable to handle them herself? Such a thing would cause anarchy. If the village cannot trust its leader to handle things on their own, then how can they trust in the leader? How will they feel safe?"

"No one person can do everything alone," Sakura insisted. "As a member of the village myself, I can tell you that I still trust the Hokage to help us in our time of need. We can rely on her. Besides, I think the rest of the village feels a sense of relief that the Hokage has befriended people in other lands who are willing to come to our aid whether or not we ask for it. The more people you have, the better protection."

Kado nodded. "She speaks the truth, Mother. Everything she has said makes sense."

Sumiyumi rounded on him next. "Then this girl is the one who has poisoned your mind against me? Who has convinced you to turn against our ways and rebel."

"No, Mother. I am not against you. Just the decision. I think there is a better way."

"Our way has worked just fine for the past four generations. You, the fifth generation, would do well to follow our laws, whether or not you agree with them."

"But, Mother…"

"A thief would try to overturn the theft law because he does not agree with it. He would seek to do his own thing. But you see why such a law is in place, do you not?" reasoned Sukiyumi. "Same with murder. A killer would commit such a crime more easily because there is no law against it, but it is still wrong. Just because you do not agree with it…"

"But, Mother, there is no actual law stating that we cannot ask for help," said Kado. "It is merely a tradition that has been enforced."

"I know what is best for my family and for the village."

Kado stood firm. He was not going to banish the ninja and he would not help her kill the villagers in the warehouse. Sukiyumi would not waver either, but the plan would be harder if she had to carry it out all by herself. Even if Kado refused to assist her, it wouldn't be enough to stop her altogether. Refusing was one thing, but could he actually fight his mother? Standing off to the side and watching her do it all herself still wasn't helping the villagers. It would just slow their inevitable demise.

Ran looked at Shino who was no longer growling but would still pull against the rope every now and then. A fine ninja reduced to such a thing. A ninja, a villager. Their mother had the same plan for all of them. Which gave Ran an idea.

"Mother, if one of us were infected, would you kill us as well?" he asked.

Kado looked at his brother in surprise. It was a startling question, but one he also wanted an answer to. He returned his gaze back to his mother, trying to force her to answer with his stare alone.

Hinata already knew the answer, having heard it before. She knew Sukiyumi wouldn't hesitate to kill her own children if they were infected so she would not be accused of hypocrisy.

But that was before they knew there might have been a cure. Sukiyumi might change her answer.

She looked at her two sons and gave them her honest answer. "Yes. If I must kill the villagers to spare the rest, then I must do the same for my own family. I cannot favor one over the other. I must be fair. And if you cannot return to your true selves, then what choice do I have?"

"But you have a choice," said Sakura. "If there's a cure, you don't have to kill anyone."

Sukiyumi held out her hand to Sakura, palm up. "Where is this fabled cure, then? If you have it, then put it here in my hand."

"I don't have it."

"Then keep your mouth shut. Since there is no cure, my hands are tied."

"But there can be, if only we work with them, Mother," said Kado.

"Wait a minute!" Ran cried out. "You would kill us, too?"

Sukiyumi nodded. "I must be fair. If the villagers have to die, then I cannot harbor one of my children who is also infected. It would not be fair. I would expect you to do the same with me, if that be the case."

"But what if there was a cure?" asked Ran. "Would you save us or kill us anyway?"

"Of course, I would save you. If there were a cure. I would not kill anyone so needlessly, least of all my own children."

"All the more reason to let the ninja help us," said Kado. "With a cure, everyone can be saved."

Now Ran was willing to back his brother up on the matter. He stood beside him, ready to disobey their mother's order.

"That's right," said Ran. "If there is a chance, however slight, I say we try it. That way if one of us gets infected, no one has to die. Not us and not the villagers."

Sukiyumi stubbornly refused, but she seemed even more agitated than before.

"You do not understand," she said to them. "We must do it ourselves. If we don't, the villagers won't ever trust us again."

"But you're not worried about them lacking trust after you kill most of them?" Shikamaru muttered under his breath.

"Asking for help might work for these ninja, but not for us. We never have before. If we were to suddenly start, the village will think we cannot do the job. They will never trust us again. There will be a revolt. Kado, Ran, trust in your own abilities. Do not give in and never give up. I didn't raise you to be that way."

"You also raised us to look after the village. Our backs are against the wall, Mother. I am not giving up, but I know enough to ask for help when it's needed. And it is needed."

"And if I kill these ninja, then you will have no one to assist. With them out of the way, you will have no choice but to continue doing things the way we always have."

"You will not kill them, Mother. They are not a threat."

"They are if they cause you to behave like this!"

"You consider them a threat because they do not think like you?"

"No."

"It sounds like it is, Mother."

"I know what's best."

Shikamaru looked over his shoulder, making sure no one was lurking behind them. At this rate, the family would continue to argue until the infected people simply ran out of time. Either the doors of the warehouse would give, flooding the streets with crazed villagers, or the infected people's bodies would give out from all the stress. This wasn't a natural state for them to be in. The longer this family took to see eye to eye, the less time the people had.

They needed to either work together or overpower the one who didn't agree with their methods. Something told Shikamaru that Kado and Ran wouldn't fight their mother in combat, only verbally. If he took the rest of the team to a different location to solve this themselves, not only would it take longer, but Sukiyumi would hunt them down and fight them.

They knew this village and the people in it. Their best chance of finding the origin of the outbreak was for them to work as a team. Any information the noble family had would benefit them greatly.

If only they would stop arguing.

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25:**

Sayo led Kiba through the zoo, taking passages not open to the public. She knew her way around the whole zoo, including private rooms and corridors.

Seeing how well she knew the place, Kiba was positive she had something to do with the outbreak. It would be easy for someone like her. With her skills and knowledge of the zoo and its animals, how could she not be involved?

Kiba held the door open for her as she dragged a cooler of meat out of a private room. She placed it on a small cart and wheeled it down one of the paths. She went past all of the animal enclosures until she came upon one with a thick metal guard rail around it. She stopped the cart and opened the cooler.

Akamaru's nose twitched when he smelled the raw meat.

Using a pair of gloves, Sayo grabbed the meat and tossed it over the railing. The meat hit the dirt on the other side of the railing and a few moments later, a pair of hungry hyena leaped upon it. Sayo tossed a second helping over the railing and they went after that one next. Sayo removed the gloves and tossed them into the empty cooler, watching the animals devour the meat.

"I see," said Kiba, trying to make small talk. "You use the gloves so the animals don't pick up the scent of humans. Is that right?"

Sayo nodded. "Also because you shouldn't touch raw meat. If you do and then stick your hands in your mouth or something, it can make you sick. Plus, it's not good to have that scent on you."

"You sure know a lot about this stuff."

Sayo puffed out her chest proudly. "Yup. Zumi's been training me. He's the zookeeper. He runs the place. Did I tell you?"

"No, but tell me about the hyena here. Which one is Spotty?"

Sayo pointed. "That one. And that one's Lulu, the female."

"I see." Kiba folded his arms. "I thought there'd be more. That way Spotty would get to be more of a leader, being male."

"Actually, female hyenas are more aggressive than males," Sayo corrected. "They tend to dominate more. Hyenas can be pretty rough. Apparently, they haze other Hyenas. Snap at each other and all that."

Kiba thought this was odd. According to Shikamaru, the chart in the zoo said that Sayo had been at the lab and was doing something with the male hyena, Spotty. It seemed to Shikamaru that the people were behaving violently because they had been injected with some sort of animal serum. The people were clearly meant to be violent. If that was the whole point, why use the male hyena instead of the female if she was more violent? It didn't make sense.

If Sayo knew this and wasn't lying to him, then maybe she wasn't involved after all.

Even if she wasn't, she was a wealth of information. She could help him find out who was involved.

"Do you keep all the predator animals together?" he asked her.

"No," answered Sayo. "The displays are organized by habitat, not eating habits. Animals from the jungle are in one area and animals from desert environments are another. From there, the animals are organized by species. Usually the smaller animals and reptiles are near the front and the predators are at the end since they're usually the big attraction. Of course, the carnivores are kept away from the herbivores and other animals. Otherwise, they'd be nervous. I mean, wouldn't you if a lion was staring at you and you were a rabbit?"

"Yeah, even with the cage around both of us, I can see the animals being nervous." Kiba looked at Sayo. "So… what's your favorite animal?"

Sayo leaned on the railing. "Hmm." She seemed to be giving it a lot of thought. "I don't know. I like a lot of them. I don't know if I have a favorite. I like elephants and leopards and peacocks and alligators and wolves. I like a lot of animals."

She looked down at the pit between the railing and the area where the hyenas roamed. The pit was there to keep the animals from getting too close to the people or escaping without need for a high fence. From the look on Sayo's face, it seemed she wanted to get closer to the animals. This pit was keeping her from them.

"I like them because they don't judge," she said after a long pause. "I can get close to the animals and they don't act scared of me. I can feed them and they don't recoil. I can look into the eyes of a wolf and they won't return it with fear. Unlike people."

"Really?" Kiba put his hands on his hips and leaned back to look at the sky. "I thought you guys relished that."

Sayo shook her head. "No. I'm sick of how the villagers look at me. I don't like how they're scared. None of them want to be my friend, even when I act nice to them. They're too scared. The animals here will at least give you a chance."

Keeping his back bent, Kiba looked at her. He felt a little sorry for her.

"So no friends?"

"Nope."

"Not even one?"

Sayo shook her head. "Any kids who would talk to me were only doing it because they were worried what would happen if they didn't. It was all pretend. Even when I was nice to them, they were still scared." Sayo sighed. "I know my family is to blame. If we weren't so scary to the villagers, they wouldn't be so worried what my family would do to them if they ever upset me."

Kiba slumped forward with a groan. "Why don't you tell your mother to get the stick out of her butt? I'm pretty sure she's the problem."

"Mother doesn't easily change her ways. She thinks raising us to be this way will make us strong. No one will mess with us."

"No one will be your friend either."

"Exactly." Then she grinned. "Well... one person said he'd be my friend. But he wasn't from my village. He's from yours."

"Let me guess. Naruto, right?"

She nodded with a smile on her face. "Uh-huh. The only one to ever treat me like a real person."

Sayo didn't seem like such a bad person. A bit unorthodox, but she wasn't bad. Maybe the noble family wasn't involved. Maybe they were the target. If everyone was afraid of them, it made sense.

"Tell me about this Zumi guy. What's he like?"

"The zookeeper?" Sayo stood up straight, but kept her hands on the railing. "He's nice. He's the one who let me come here and help him out. I know it's because I'm a member of the noble family. He would never let anyone else do this kind of stuff."

"He lets you feed the animals and come here whenever you please?"

"Pretty much."

"Does he ever let you do anything else?"

Sayo nodded. "If the animals need something other than food, he lets me help. Like, if they need their shots or something like that. He lets me come into the cages with him as his assistant."

"That's cool. When you're not there, who helps him?"

Sayo shrugged. "Usually he does things alone because he knows the animals well. But he has helpers. He's not the only one in the zoo. There are other staff members and people like that. Why?"

"Just curious."

Akamaru gave Kiba a look. Kiba nodded his head. They were both on the same page.

* * *

The argument continued between the current head of the noble family and the next generation. The only difference was that now her second son had joined in. Now all three of them were arguing with each other, begging for the other side to see reason. Well, one side was begging, the other was demanding it.

With no end in sight, Shikamaru and the others stepped back to let the family battle it out amongst themselves.

Shikamaru kept hold of the rope binding Shino, but he wasn't sure how necessary it was anymore. Unable to do anything other than make a lot of noise, Shino had grown listless and remained where he was, looking around slowly. He had lost interest in attacking anyone. Shikamaru wasn't sure if this was a good sign or not.

He sat on the ground and watched the family yell at each other. He drummed his fingers on his knee, growing more bored by the minute. This wasn't helping anyone. Unable to convince either side, they were at a stalemate.

They couldn't afford to keep the situation paused any longer. While they sat here doing nothing, the people in the warehouse were still trying to get out and the culprit was still on the loose.

Having dealt with angry women before, usually his own mother and Ino, Shikamaru knew it was best to stay as quiet as possible and try to look sorry. Either she would shorten her rampage or she would forget he was there and move on. It was nice not being on the receiving end of a mother's wrath for a change, but it was time to end it.

He knew better than to get in the way, but after giving it some thought, he knew it was the only way to move things along; even if it did make him the next target.

"Mother, please! The longer we wait, the worse it gets. Why can't you make an acceptation just this once? Why can't you let the ninja help us?"

"Because she's afraid," said Shikamaru, standing up.

The looks Kado and Ran gave him indicated that he had just insulted their mother, suggesting that she was afraid of anything.

Fed up with how long this was taking, Shikamaru did not pause and he didn't look apologetic. Enough was enough.

"Look, I don't care if I'm out of line for saying this, but it needs to be said," Shikamaru went on. "I'll admit, I haven't been in this village very long and I know little about your family, but based on what I've seen and heard, I think I understand why you are so unwilling to accept help from others and it isn't just because of tradition. It's because of how you came into power and how you're keeping the position."

Sakura gave him a puzzled look. "Shikamaru, what does that have to do with anything?"

"Everything once you consider the fact that they were appointed to power because of their strength. That's how the first noble came to power, isn't it? Rather than a bloodline, the position of nobility goes to whomever is strongest in the village. There's no security in a position like that."

Shikamaru handed Sakura the rope and walked closer to Sukiyumi. Shino didn't fuss when the rope changed hands. He just stood quietly and watched.

"If you are not strong enough, the position goes to someone else, correct?" Shikamaru asked Sukiyumi, but he did not expect her to answer. He already knew. "The rule is that if someone challenges you to a match and you lose, the one who defeated you becomes the new noble. That is why you lack trust. If your position can be taken away so easily, I could understand your paranoia. Anyone who knocks on your door is a potential threat."

What Shikamaru said made sense. That was why they reacted so harshly to anyone who did anything in their home. Why she refused help.

"Your method of driving away anyone who would threaten you is to put up an intimidating front so no one will want to challenge you. You want to scare them away in order to keep your position safe. You don't want to be challenged."

Sukiyumi narrowed her eyes at him.

"It's a good method, but you could be doing the opposite. If you're too threatening to others, then the villagers might want to take away your power and give it to someone else. Someone less scary. You're driving the wrong people away."

"That's right," said Sakura. "If that is how you maintain power, then it might be encouraging people to challenge you. It's not a question of if you can do the job or not, it's if they feel comfortable having you in power."

"And I understand why you would be so threatened by something like that. I'm sure you have the village's best interest at heart, but you are also worried about yourselves. You've been in this position all your lives. You don't know anything else. If the power were suddenly taken away from you, what would you do? Would the villagers accept you living among them? Or would they come after you now that you have no real power? You're afraid."

Sukiyumi's silence said it all. Shikamaru was correct. She would never admit it out loud, but he was right. Every word of it.

"If we are too lenient, it will only encourage people to challenge us because they will see us as weak," she told him. "I will not have my family seen as an easy target."

"If they're content with you, no one will want to challenge you. They'll want you to stay in power. They'll trust you with their lives. They'll support you."

"I totally understand why you would be worried about someone taking your power," added Sakura. "Aside from being lost without your position, you're worried about what the next person will do. Will they lead the village to ruin or will they help? What if they aren't a good fit? I get that. Our village has faced the same thing, but the Hokage everyone likes is still in power and she doesn't rule through fear. She's admired and respected by all. You can rule like that, too."

Shikamaru cracked a smile, trying to ease the tension. "I have to say, your system is pretty lousy. The power goes to whoever can beat you in a fight. That sucks."

"I always thought it was to keep those in a bloodline who aren't worthy from attaining power," said Ran. "Like if a noble is lazy and can't do his job. Why would he be in power?"

"Yeah, but with your method, there's no security. You think everyone who knocks on your door is a threat. It shouldn't be that way."

Sukiyumi still wouldn't say anything but she wouldn't take her eyes off Shikamaru. Shikamaru returned her stare. She may have been too proud to accept help or maybe she was afraid of having her power taken from her, or both. Maybe she wouldn't be convinced, but they couldn't keep arguing like this. They had a job to do.

"You care about your villagers, correct?" he asked her. "If you do, then you'll be willing to do anything to save them. Even if it means going against your traditions."

Sukiyumi still wouldn't answer him.

"We are here because our friends are in danger and need help. If your children were in our village and in danger, wouldn't you be there to help them? You wouldn't leave because our Hokage told you to. They're your kids," Shikamaru reasoned. "I'm sure you can understand our reasons for being here. We're not leaving until our friends are safe. At least let us stay here for that. If we find a cure together, that's great. But there's no reason to kick us out. We're not here to take power from anyone. We're just here to help our friends. You want to help your villagers, too. We have a common goal. It makes sense for us to work together. If you still can't do that, then step aside and let us do our thing while you do yours. Can you at least accept that?"

Sukiyumi kept her eyes narrowed.

"Mother," said Kado, "I will be the next head of the noble family. Let me show you what I can do. Please, let me show you how I will handle things when I take charge of the village. Please, Mother."

She gave a short sigh and shook her head. "I suppose I won't be able to stop you once you take power, Kado. Do as you please and prove me wrong."

Kado gave his mother a wide smile and bowed his head. "Thank you, Mother!"

"Though I am not certain you can," she added curtly. "All these generations, and nothing like this has ever happened before."

Ran boldly snapped back, "That's true. Only while you are in power has this taken place. Perhaps our current methods are wrong. This never happened with Grandfather in charge or our great-grandfather or his."

She shot her son a look.

"Now's not the time to keep this going!" Sakura snapped at Ran. "We finally stopped the agreement. Don't start it up again!"

Ran looked at Sakura in surprise. She was scolding him in the same way she did Naruto. Up until now, knowing how the noble family could be, Sakura never raised her voice to them in such a way.

Being told off like this was different, to say the least. Being yelled at by someone other than his mother was actually kind of nice.

"Let's focus," Shikamaru said, gaining their attention. "Regrouping, we know that this infection was man-made and the culprit is someone in this village. If it's not someone in the noble family and it can't be someone who is already infected, who could it be? Who would have access to this kind of material? Who would have the means to do all this? And why?"

"If the majority of the village is afraid of us, it could be anyone. Even with it narrowed down like this."

"But as we've said, it must be someone who not only fears you but hates you as well. Who could that be?"

"We don't know the villagers by name. To be honest, we don't know them that well at all. It still could be anyone."

"What about a scientist?" asked Sakura. "It must be someone who knows how to mix chemicals together. Someone in a lab."

"The doctor tried to cure the illness but he came up with nothing. He even let us use his lab when his attempts failed." Kado thought a little harder. "Could a nurse have the skills?"

"I thought a couple of nurses were already infect," said Ran. "Or am I thinking of the staff members at the zoo?"

"They have a lab at the zoo. Could someone..?"

Hinata gave a loud gasp. "Everyone! The warehouse!"

Using her Byakugan, she saw the doors of the warehouse bending, the metal sheets scraping across the dirt. The people inside were about to escape.

"Hurry!"

Everyone rushed to the warehouse as quickly as possible. Shino became agitated as soon as they got close to the building. He growled and snapped at the air. He pulled against the rope Sakura was still holding.

Ran and Kado threw themselves against the doors, pushing as hard as they could. Shikamaru wasn't sure if he had the strength to use his shadow again, but he would try when the opportunity presented itself. If he only had one shot, he wasn't going to waste it. Hinata stood behind the boys, ready to grab anyone crawling through the gaps. Sakura quickly tied Shino to a door knob and rushed to help the others keep the door shut.

Shino sniffed the air and turned his head the other way, sensing something. He gave a low moan and hunched over.

* * *

Naruto thumped his fingers on his leg. There must have been something he could do to help.

If he couldn't use Shadow Clones and he couldn't leave Sai alone, what could he do?

Maybe he could solve the mystery by himself.

He played over all the clues in his head, hoping to crack the code. If he figured something out, he could tell the others and they could start working on the cure. All they needed was the culprit and his serum. Once they had that, a cure could be made.

But out of all the villagers and noble family members, who could it be?

To pacify Sai who had started wandering around again, Naruto tossed pieces of jerky from his pocket into the air. Knowing Naruto had food, Sai didn't wander too far.

"Let me think…" Naruto tossed another piece into the air and Sai caught it in his mouth. "Hmm…"

Sai looked towards the village and Naruto tossed another piece at him. Sensing its approach, Sai turned his head the other way and opened his mouth to accept it. He chewed noisily and sat in the grass, losing interest in the village once again.

"If it's not someone in the noble family, then who could it be?" Naruto wondered aloud. "It could be anybody who isn't in that warehouse. I can't go knocking on doors, can I? No, that's stupid. No one's leaving their house anyway. But someone did. Otherwise Shino wouldn't have been infected. Let's see. What was Shino doing just before getting infected? Investigating, right? Yeah, he was using his bugs to scope out the noble family's house."

Naruto sighed, leaning back on his hands. Everything kept pointing to the noble family. He was certain of Sayo's innocence but he wasn't sure about the rest of the family. It must have been one of them. If Shino was investigating their house, then that put him in the line of fire. Since he was infected while examining the family, one of them had to be responsible. It made perfect sense. He wasn't infected any other time.

Sai was stabbed by a member of the family and became infected. Shino was investigating the family when he got infected. It had to be someone in the Arashi clan. Everyone seemed to get infected when they were around.

No matter how Naruto looked at it, it seemed the clan was behind everything. It all pointed to them.

If Shino had been anywhere else…

Naruto's eyed widened.

"Wait a minute. Shino was using his bugs. Shino…"

The one who always stayed in the shadows. The one Naruto hardly noticed even when he was right next to him.

"Even if Shino was investigating the noble's household, that doesn't necessarily mean that he was near the building itself. Shino can spread his bugs over a wide area and do things without him having to be there."

Shino could have been somewhere else when he was infected. The noble family might not have been responsible for what happened to him even if he was investigating them.

"Exactly," Naruto said, getting to his feet. "Shino doesn't stand out in the open. He's usually at a distance when he uses his bugs. Which means he was probably somewhere else when he got infected. The fact that he was investigating the noble family when he was infected is irrelevant."

Naruto looked towards the village. If he could figure out where Shino was standing when he got infected, he might be able to figure out who the culprit was. He wasn't sure how to do it, but he was going to give it a try.

"If I knew where Kiba was, I could ask him and Akamaru to track Shino's scent. He must have been standing around that area for a while so that would mean his scent's stronger there, right?"

He looked at Sai who was looking up at him from his position on the ground.

"Maybe…"

Naruto was going to take a chance and try it. If he solved the mystery, he was certain his friends would forgive him for letting Sai wander around the village after telling him not to let that happen.

"Come on, Sai. Let's go into the village and see what we can find. Will you help me out?"

Sai gave a short growl and stood up.

Naruto and Sai when into the village quietly, staying close together. Naruto wasn't sure where Shino had been standing, but he knew it wasn't near the noble family's property. He could have been across the street or two blocks away or even on the other side of the village altogether. It didn't narrow things down much, but at least he knew where not to look.

"Sai, can you track Shino's scent for me?"

Sai didn't respond.

Naruto stopped moving and Sai did the same. "Can you track Shino's scent?" he asked again.

Sai cocked his head to the side.

"Can you understand a word I'm saying?"

Sai growled sharply at him. Naruto wasn't sure what to make of that.

"Ok, maybe this was a bad idea. I figured if you're acting like an animal, you might be able to do animal things. I should have planned this better." Naruto scratched his head. "Thoughts, Sai?"

Sai stared at him.

He tried to think. "Well, if he wasn't near the noble family's house, then he must have been… somewhere else."

Sai snarled.

"I know, I know. That's obvious. No kidding." Naruto gave it another go. "Ok. At the time, we were in different areas, right? Shino must have been alone. What were we doing at that time just before we discovered him like that? The infected people had gotten out, right? We had already been at the zoo, so we know Shino couldn't have been there. Ok, so if we were all doing our things at the time, then Shino was wherever we weren't. So…"

This was a big village. It still didn't narrow things down because he didn't know where everyone was at the time. Shino probably wouldn't be running around. He was stationary. Hinata had been watching the warehouse. Shino was with her for part of the time. When the infected people got out, everyone had spread out, but someone was still near the warehouse in order to keep track of what the noble family was doing.

"But Hinata wasn't there anymore, was she? She had gone to help us. So Shino must have been near the warehouse, right?" Naruto hoped he was right on this. "Does this mean we need to go back to the warehouse? No, but we were all there at some point. And Hinata had been there alone, too. Maybe it's not the warehouse. Or maybe it was and the guy didn't infect anyone because there were too many of us. He waited until Shino was alone. But Hinata was also alone there at some point. Why not infect her?"

Maybe there was no reason to. There must have been additional factors which prompted the attacker to strike when they did.

Being near the noble family's home did implicate them, but as Naruto discovered, Shino wasn't necessarily in that area when he was infected. The culprit might not have known about Shino's abilities either, so they didn't know what Shino had been doing at the time. Taking the noble family out of the equation altogether, that narrowed it down to where Shino was standing, not what he was doing. Since they had all been near the warehouse at some point, some alone and some with a group of two or more. The attacker had the opportunity to infect someone when they were alone but didn't, which meant the warehouse wasn't a factor either.

Those were the only locations that had any significance to them. There was a vital piece missing.

That piece was wherever Shino had been standing moments before becoming infected.

This told Naruto that Shino was deliberately infected because he was about to uncover something important. Either he saw the person responsible or he was close to wherever the person was hiding. Or Shino was about to learn where the infection was made. Any of those things would have prompted the person to attack him so Shino wouldn't be able to tell anyone.

"Shino might have been near the guy's hideout. Maybe he found the stash." Naruto nodded his head. "I think I got it. Never mind the warehouse or the noble family. We need to look in areas where a man-made infection could be created. Like in a laboratory. Shino had already looked at the doctor's office and the two brothers were using it to make their own cure, so that's out of the way. The zoo had a lab, but Shino wasn't near the zoo. The person that did this might have their own lab in their house."

Naruto stood between two buildings and looked in every direction.

"Shino was coming from this direction when he attacked Kiba." Naruto pointed to his left. "If Shino traveled in a straight line, he must have come from that area up there. Let's head that way and see if we notice anything."

Sai followed him obediently. They walked slowly, making sure they didn't miss anything. Naruto had no idea what he was looking for, but if there was a sign above a door reading 'laboratory' that would have been helpful.

Sai started to grow agitated and started to wander away. Naruto called him back. Sai listened the first two times, but he wasn't listening anymore. Naruto pulled on his arm and Sai pulled free, moving to the right. He was heading towards the warehouse.

Thinking Sai would be discovered, Naruto pulled on him again. Sai growled and shrugged him off. Naruto fished around in his pocket for the jerky and held out a large piece for him. Sai no longer looked at him when he called, so Naruto had to wave the jerky in front of his face to get his attention. Sai halted and stared at the jerky. Naruto moved his hand away and Sai followed it, turning away from the warehouse. Eyes on the jerky, Sai followed Naruto between buildings. Sai lunched forwards and chomped down on the dried meat, ripping off a piece.

"This way, Sai," Naruto called softly and Sai followed. This was his last piece of jerky so Naruto hoped Sai wouldn't wander too much.

Sai seemed to be listening to him again, putting Naruto's fears to rest. Until they heard shouting and Sai looked back in the direction of the warehouse. Sai growled, eyes staring straight ahead.

Naruto could hear his friends' voices shouting orders. He wanted to help, but he also heard the voices of the noble family members and knew he had to keep Sai hidden.

Unaware of the situation between his friends and the noble family, Naruto had no idea if they were working together or not. He also wasn't aware of what they would do if they saw Sai wandering around freely.

Whatever they were doing, Naruto had faith that his friends could handle it.

"Come on, Sai. Let's go."

Sai kept growling, staring straight ahead.

"Now, Sai. I mean it." Naruto pulled on the back of his shirt. "Sai, come on!"

Sai protested, unwilling to do as he was told. It took some prodding, but Naruto finally got through to him and Sai came reluctantly.

"Please, don't resist like that, Sai. What if you had been caught? You know I'm trying to help you, right?"

Sai stopped, staring at something else. His nostrils flared and he took a step forward.

"What is it, Sai?"

Sai sprinted forward, knowing Naruto would chase after him. Sai stopped, staring at a building.

"Sai, what are you doing?" Naruto asked him.

Sai looked from Naruto to the building. He wanted Naruto to see something. Naruto stepped back to get a good look at the building. It was some sort of pharmacy. Naruto tried to pull Sai away from the building, but Sai gave him a gentle bite on his hand.

"Ow! What?"

Sai huffed and looked at the building again.

Rubbing his sore hand, Naruto looked at the building. Then, curious, Naruto turned around. The doctor's office was on the same street. Directly behind them was the warehouse, two streets over.

Naruto looked back at the pharmacy. It was in a good location. A pharmacy would probably have a lab in it.

Thinking Sai was on to something, Naruto tried the door. As he suspected, it was locked. Should he risk breaking it down? The noise could draw unwanted attention.

"Maybe I can pick the lock or…"

Sai used an overhand swing to bash the knob off the door with his fist. His strength had the dented knob hanging from two loose screws. Sai pushed the door open with his knuckles. The door swung inward with a creak and thumped lightly against the potted plant just inside. Sai turned to Naruto with an expectant expression.

His lips twitched, indicating that he was trying to do something but couldn't. Naruto suspected he was trying to smile but was for some reason unable to use his facial muscles to do so. Naruto nodded his head in thanks and stepped inside. Sai followed after.

The inside was dark. Naruto didn't brother to find the light switch, worried it would alert anyone hiding inside. The noise made by Sai breaking the doorknob might have already tipped off anyone who was lurking inside. Just in case, Naruto didn't want to take more risks than needed.

There were rows of bandages and over the counter medicines for minor illnesses. There was a section of first-aid kits and special soaps and anti-bacterial ointments. Naruto walked through that section to get to the back wall which had a large window with a closed sign tapped to the glass. Beside the window was a door marked 'employs only' in big red letters.

Naruto motioned for Sai to follow him. When he tried this door, he was surprised to discover it was unlocked. Considering the fact that the main door was already locked, it was possible that whoever locked it didn't see a reason to lock this one since no one would be able to get in anyway. The other possibility was that the person who had locked the main door was behind this one which was why it wasn't locked.

If someone was inside, they had to be extremely careful. Keeping his hand on the handle, Naruto lowered himself to the ground. He slowly pushed the door open and very slowly took his hand off the handle so the latch wouldn't make a loud sound. He crawled on his hands and knees and Sai did the same. He closed the door behind them and started his own investigation.

He crawled to the nearest gap between what he thought were bookcases. As he got closer, he realized they were actually storage bins labeled alphabetically. He slid open one of the drawers with his hand and looked at the contents: drugs with patient names on the bottles. These were prescription drugs. Naruto closed the drawer and went to the next one where he discovered the same thing.

If these were all prescriptions, where did they come from?

The finished product was here on the first level. The drugs must have been created somewhere else. Somewhere nearby.

Naruto crawled around, looking for a door. He didn't know much about medicine, but he knew pills didn't just show up. They had to come from somewhere.

Behind a tower of boxes, Naruto found a door leading to another part of the building. It was unlocked. He called Sai over and they went through the door together.

A short hallway with two doors. Naruto looked at the first one. He pressed his face against the glass window above the knob and saw rows of lab equipment. There was a lab here after all. Naruto looked at the sign next to the door which read: Human Pharmaceuticals.

Naruto looked at the second door to his right at the end of the hall. The sign beside that door read: Veterinary Pharmacy.

"They make the drugs in the same place?" Naruto whispered to himself. "Well, I guess that makes sense. Drugs are drugs. Why have two different buildings if they do the same thing? At least the doors are labeled differently so they can keep track and make sure humans don't get drugs intended for animals."

He had two doors to choose from. The answer could have been behind either one of them. Since the people were acting like animals, Naruto decided to go with the second door. If he couldn't find what he needed, he would go behind the first one and poke around the human lab.

He opened the second door and looked down. There were stairs leading below the building. The animal lab was underground. He motioned for Sai to follow which he did. They stepped inside and Naruto closed the door. As soon as he did, lights flickered on without him having to do anything. They must have been motion activated.

Sai was already at the top of the staircase, waiting for him. He crouched over the top step, looking down. Naruto walked the four steps it took for him to reach the staircase and looked down as well. Down one flight of steps, a small platform, then down a second flight. The staircase curved so he couldn't see where it led. There was only one way to find out.

"Let's go, Sai."

Naruto led the way down the stairs. Once he reached the bottom of the first set, he turned to the right and started down the second. Halfway down, he saw another door. He approached and looked through the small window. It was dark inside. He couldn't see where it led.

Feeling Sai brush against him, Naruto looked at him. Sai looked from him to the door, never making a sound. Naruto couldn't tell what he wanted. Sai made no indication that he wanted Naruto to do anything specific. He didn't seem agitated, but he also didn't seem calm.

He had two options, just as with the doors. Naruto could either go inside and satisfy his curiosity, or he could take Sai with him and find Sakura. He could tell her and the others what he found and have them take a look for themselves. Sakura would probably be able to tell what these items were better than he could. She would know what to look for. He didn't.

This wasn't about uncovering the truth and being the hero. This wasn't about him getting glory or attention. He just wanted to finish what he started. He saw arriving at a mysterious door and walking away before he opened it as giving up halfway through a mission. This was about seeing it through. Nothing more.

He was curious. He wanted to know what was in this room.

He gently pushed Sai aside and opened the door.

The lights flickered on, illuminating the white walls of the underground lab. It looked no different from the one upstairs. Beakers, test tubes, jars of herbs and powders, scales and other measuring devices. Tables and chairs and stoles, filing cabinets and files left out in the open, as if the lab technicians had suddenly been called away. There was a coatrack on the wall just inside the door and it looked like most of the lab coats were accounted for. There were only two empty hooks.

Sai sniffed a microscope and looked at Naruto, as if offering him a question.

It was a pretty big lab. It would take them a while to explore it all, let alone identify the ingredients used to make the drugs. Naruto walked slowly, taking it all in. He moved past the tables and over to the open space in the middle of the large room. He stood there, looking at the walls. Closets containing secrets, shelves lined with jars of various sizes and colors, barrels housing unknown effects. Naruto wasn't sure where to start.

Sai walked closer to him, brushing his shoulder against Naruto's. Naruto looked at him, stroked Sai's head and started to look around again.

He stopped, spotting something. There was a sign on one of the cabinet doors which read 'danger' in big letters. That in itself wasn't striking to Naruto but it helped him recall something that might have been.

Aside from people referring to the Arashi clan as dangerous, Naruto could only recall one other person using such a description but not towards the clan.

"The zookeeper," Naruto mumbled quietly.

He had told Naruto that he wanted people to realize how dangerous some of the animals were since many approached without fear. That was easy considering the animals were all in cages, but Sayo approached the animals without fear whether they were caged or not. The zookeeper said he wanted Sayo and so many others to realize how dangerous wild animals could be.

The people were acting like animals, Sayo's family hadn't been infected, and Shino was most likely standing near this very building when he got infected. All the pieces were finally coming together.

Zumitsu had the knowledge to do all this. He even told them he often went into the cages alone to treat the animals or to feed them. He knew them well. He knew how to handle them. Getting their DNA would be an easy task for someone like him. He could even do it in absolute secrecy since he spent time alone with the animals. There were a couple coats missing from the hooks and Zumitsu was wearing a white lab coat when they first met him. That may not have been vital information, but everything else was pretty condemning.

"It was the zookeeper all along." Naruto grit his teeth. "I can't believe it. But it all fits. He had the means and the knowhow to do it all. That bastard."

He should have known. They were at the zoo and didn't find him. They hadn't been looking either, but still. The fact that he wasn't around was also pretty suspicious.

But to do all this? Just to show people how dangerous animals were? This seemed pretty harsh. Either that or he was so fed up with Sayo's free-spiritedness that he decided to come up with this scheme to frighten her. That didn't seem quite right, though.

Naruto couldn't figure out the zookeeper's exact motive, but he could ask him his reasons when he found Zumitsu and beat him for what he had done to all these people.

"Come on, Sai. We need more answers. The infection must be here somewhere, but now we know who's responsible. Let's finish up here quick and go tell Sakura what we found. If we can't find the source ourselves, we can have her do it."

Sai looked the other way and growled. Naruto followed his gaze and saw something move to the side. He saw the tail of a white lab coat duck behind a filing cabinet.

Naruto clenched his fists. "Alright, come on out," he called to the far corner of the room. "We know you're there. Don't make me come back there and beat the crap out of you."

He was going to throttle this person no matter what. He just wanted to get some answers. If they pointed out the source of the infection, it would save them a lot of time searching for it themselves.

He saw the lab coat. It must have been the zookeeper, Zumitsu. If it was, he would probably have something at the ready for when Naruto got close. Most likely the infection. Naruto had to keep his distance for now. If he got infected here when no one knew where he was, it was all over.

"Come on out!" Naruto called again. "Show yourself, you jerk!"

* * *

So who is it?

Please review! ^-^


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26:**

Sayo stopped in front of another exhibit to feed the gorillas. She flung fruit into their enclosure and watched them gather it up. She returned to the cart and noticed that she was out of food. She told Kiba to follow her to the next area and help her load the cart for the aquatic exhibits next. As they walked, she educated Kiba on all the animals that lived there. Several times Kiba interrupted to tell her he already knew the facts she was telling him.

"How long have you been with your dog?" she asked.

"Akamaru? We've been together since he was a puppy."

She smiled. "I can tell you like him a lot."

"Why wouldn't I? He's the best dog there is."

Akamaru barked in agreement and panted with his tongue lolling out of his mouth.

Sayo stopped the cart beside a small stone building. "I've asked my mother for a pet but she always refuses. Says it's a distraction."

"Akamaru isn't a pet," Kiba informed her. "He's my best friend and my partner. We go on missions together and everything. He's always with me."

As Sayo opened the metal door to the building, she paused, frowning at something. "Not right now, he isn't."

Kiba turned around. "Akamaru? Where'd you go?"

They didn't have to look far to find him. Akamaru was at the same building, only positioned on the other side of it. He was sniffing at the door.

"What's the matter, boy?" Kiba asked.

The dog scratched at the knob and whimpered.

Kiba looked at the door. "Something's in there. Sayo, can you open it?"

"Sure thing." She took out the set of keys she had helped herself to in order to feed the various animals. She searched for the right key then stuck it in the keyhole and turned it. She jiggled the knob and pulled the door open.

It was a utility closet packed with supplies. As soon as the door was open, something large fell out and Kiba and Sayo jumped back. It was a human.

"What the hell?" Kiba yelped in surprise.

"What's he doing in there?" Sayo asked, just as surprised as Kiba.

"That Zumi guy runs the place," he said. "Maybe you should ask him why there's a random guy in a closet."

"It's Zumitsu…" the man said weakly.

Kiba looked down. "Huh?"

The man on the ground turned his head to the side to speak more clearly. "It's Zumitsu."

Kiba looked at the man in the lab coat, cocking his head to one side. "Wait, are you..?"

"It's Zumi!" gasped Sayo.

"It's Zumitsu," the man said again.

Sayo tried to help him up. Kiba helped her. Now sitting, they could see that Zumitsu's hands were bound in front of his chest and his legs were tied up with surgical tape. It was wound so thickly around his wrists and ankles, Kiba had to use his kunai to cut them.

Having learned that this man was Zumitsu, the zookeeper, Kiba found himself filled with so many questions. He wanted to ask how Zumitsu ended up it that utility closet, but had concluded that his first question would have to wait after seeing the state Zumitsu was in. Instead, the first thing he asked was, "Are you ok?"

Zumitsu could barely keep his head up. Even if the surgical tape was easy to break, he wouldn't have been able to in this state. He was very weak.

"I think I'm ok," Zumitsu mumbled.

"What were you doing in there?" asked Sayo.

"I don't think he put himself in that closet," said Kiba. "He didn't tie himself up, either."

Even if Zumitsu had done this to himself to make himself look like a victim in order to forge his innocence in this matter, Kiba found several clues disproving this. The surgical tape was in the wrong position for someone to have done this to themselves. Someone else had tied him up. The closet door was locked from the outside and Zumitsu didn't have a set of keys on him. There was no way for him to get out and he couldn't have locked himself in if he was already inside. Zumitsu's behavior was also off. He was sluggish and looked dizzy.

"Can you stand?" Kiba asked.

Zumitsu couldn't move his legs properly. It was impossible for him to stand up.

Kiba took out his canteen and tried to get Zumitsu to drink. Most of it dribbled down his chin and neck, but he was able to swallow some of it. It seemed to make him more alert.

"What happened to you?" asked Sayo, concerned for the man. "Who did this to you? Do you know?"

Zumitsu nodded his head. "Yes."

* * *

Naruto asked again for the person to come out of hiding. More like demanded, actually.

"I know you did this," Naruto said loudly. "I know you're responsible for all those people. Get out here right now!"

The stranger complied, stepping out from behind the cabinet and under the artificial light.

It wasn't the zookeeper, but it wasn't a stranger in the lab coat either.

Naruto's mouth fell open. "You?"

"You sound surprised," answered Doctor Akihiro. "You said you knew I was responsible. Or was that just a ploy to get me out of hiding? You look like you were expecting someone else."

The village doctor was responsible? That didn't make any sense. Was he wrong? Was he putting the blame on the wrong person? Should he apologize for mistaking him for someone else? No, Akihiro just confessed that he was the one responsible. Didn't he?

"To be honest, I was kind of expecting the zookeeper," said Naruto. "Not you."

"Why him? Because he knows about animals and all those people are acting like animals?"

"That and he has a lab coat and when we met you, you didn't."

"I don't always wear it," said Akihiro. "Really? That was the only link? A lab coat? You're not much of a detective, are you?"

Naruto still couldn't believe it. Nothing pointed to the doctor before. This must have been a mistake.

Although, now that he thought about it, a few things could have been explained. Though Shino had already searched the doctor's office for clues and found nothing, it was unlikely he would have anyway since the majority of the drugs used there were made here in the pharmacy. All the equipment was here. What better place to make a drug, or an infection? No wonder Shino didn't find anything there. They also knew that the doctor had let the two sons from the noble family use his office for their research. Even if he was working on the infection there, it was unlikely for him to leave it there for them to discover. He probably moved it to this lab or it was never out of the lab to begin with.

Humans acting like animals. Animal DNA. The zoo and the doctor's office used the same pharmacy; there were just two different labs. One catered to animals. It would have been easy for someone who worked here or worked in either location to get their hands on such a thing.

"You've been using this place to create the infection all along, haven't you?" Naruto asked him. "Is that it? That's why you let the members of the noble family use your office for their studies. You knew they wouldn't find anything."

"Smart, huh? Not that the noble family would be smart enough to figure such a thing out."

"So you infected all those people? You? Alone?" Naruto snarled.

Akihiro smirked. "Yes. There's no point in me denying it."

Naruto grit his teeth.

* * *

"The village doctor did this to you?" Sayo asked as she helped Zumitsu sit on a nearby bench. "How? Why?"

Zumitsu held a damp cloth to his head which Kiba provided for him. "I found him in the lab over there, snooping around." He gestured to the building beside the one he was locked inside of. "He was messing around with something, I think. It gets a little blurry. I remember grabbing him and he grabbed me. Next thing I know, my legs are giving out and then I woke up in there with my hands and legs tied."

"He must have drugged you or hit you over the head with something," said Kiba. "Why the hell would a doctor be here? Don't they have their own lab to do stuff in? I doubt he was here looking for supplies because he ran out."

"He wouldn't be here for something like that anyway," said Sayo. "The lab here only looks at animal samples and that's it. There wouldn't be any drugs here. The medications in the vet office is brought here by the pharmacy. They make the drugs. The office just stores them and treats the animals."

"She's correct," said Zumitsu. "Any results we get from the lab here is sent over to the pharmacy and they prepare the drugs. This way the pharmacy doesn't have to worry about any cross contamination with human illnesses and what have you. The drugs are made in the same building, but in separate locations. That's why I knew Akihiro was up to something. I tried to confront him and he stuck me in there."

"Ah-ha!" declared Kiba. "He must be responsible for all this. If the people are acting like animals and that Akihiro guy was here, then he must have been stocking up on things he could use to make the infection. Take that, Shino! Who's the smart guy now?"

"How did he make it, though?" asked Sayo.

Kiba frowned. "Not a clue. But that's not important. All we need to know is how he did it."

"Where is he, though?"

"I don't know that either. But we'll find him and set things straight."

Zumitsu gave a weak grin. "Thank goodness you found me. I haven't been able to find any staff members. If things had continued, I might have been trapped there for days or longer. Thanks for getting me out of there."

"Thank Akamaru," said Sayo. "He's the one who found you."

Glad that his companion was getting recognition, Kiba decided to return the favor. "And thank Sayo. She's the one who got you out of there. She had the key, I didn't."

Zumitsu looked at her. "Helped yourself again, didn't you?"

"With no one around, I had to make sure the animals are fed. And you'll be happy to know that I got to every single area except the aquarium. That's the last stop of the day."

Zumitsu gave a weary chuckle. "Thanks, Sayo." He patted her on the back. "I'm glad you were around to help me out. In more ways than one, I must say."

Hearing that someone was happy to have her around, Sayo beamed at him and threw her arms around his shoulders.

"Thanks, Zumi! It's great to have you around, too!"

"It's Zumitsu," he corrected.

* * *

For a long time, Naruto stood where he was, finding himself with more questions than answers. A small part of him still doubted that the doctor was responsible, but he just admitted it out loud. He could have been lying, but for what purpose? To protect the real villain? It didn't make sense to him.

Burning with questions, Naruto fired off several at the doctor in hopes of understanding what was going on. If all the pieces fit, he would have to accept it. To accept that the village doctor intentionally infected the citizens. The man who treated Sai's wound when he got stabbed by the noble family's dagger.

Naruto glanced to his left and saw the faded scar on Sai's forearm where the dagger had hit.

The doctor had treated him. He had ample opportunity to infect him. But how? They were watching the whole time.

Suddenly, it made sense that it could have been the doctor. He was their last stop before going home and that was when Sai started to behave strangely. He was fine until he met the doctor.

"How did you do this?" Naruto's questions began and he didn't pause long enough for the doctor to answer any of them. "Why did you do this? You infected all those people? Including Sai? Why? Why did you do that? What reason could you possibly have? And make them act like animals? I figured the zookeeper would be behind this. What do you know about the zoo?"

Akihiro chuckled. "My dear boy, the zoo is open to the public. Anyone can walk right in there and learn all they can about the animals. The information plaques are in front of every exhibit. It's easy."

"But we know you caused the people to act like animals by using animal DNA or something. That's not available to the public. How'd you manage that?"

"If that noble brat can get her hands on a set of keys, why can't I?" answered the doctor. "My office and the zoo use the same pharmacy. All the drugs are made here, but we use separate labs. I gained access to the one in the zoo by telling them I was there to deliver the drugs for the animals. They let me in without question. I may not be a vet, but with a medical background I'm able to discuss things with the vet in the zoo. I got information that way. No one would suspect me because the questions weren't pointed. I asked about the animals, what they did at the zoo, how they got the animals in there, how they got the animals to take their medications, and I even asked about animal behaviors. Not everything I asked them pertained to drugs. My questions were no different from those asked by any child wandering into the zoo with a natural curiosity."

"Did you also offer insight to the people at the lab in the zoo? Shikamaru noticed there was something unaccounted for in there. Something having to do with a hyena. Did you take something from the lab?"

Akihiro nodded. "Not the lab itself, mind you. It was going there for testing but I took it before it could reach its destination. They didn't seem to notice."

That must have been why the lab needed a new sample. The first one went missing, so they returned to the hyena exhibit to get another. That was why the charts were off. Akihiro was messing up their system.

"You took more than one sample, didn't you?" asked Naruto. "Those people aren't just acting like hyenas. I bet you took more that went unaccounted for. How'd you cover your tracks? They've got papers and charts all over the place cataloging what animal got what and when."

"I know that," said Akihiro. "But thankfully, I had the perfect scapegoat. And she happily wanders into the zoo just about every day, doing as she pleases."

Naruto blinked. "Sayo?" It was no wonder the evidence kept pointing to her and the rest of the noble family. "You planned on using her to take the fall for you?"

"She does what she wants. Everyone knows that. If a few things go missing, who do you think they'll blame? Just to be certain, I signed her name to a couple of charts just in case no one thought to go there. They see her name and know who to go after. If they dare, that is." Akihiro smirked. "With everyone focusing their attention on her, I was able to do as I pleased without concern."

He knew she couldn't have been involved. Akihiro was blaming everything on her and she had nothing to do with it. Naruto couldn't wait to rub this in his friends' faces, but he had more important things to do at the moment.

"About the infection," Naruto began. "You got all this animal DNA, right? How'd you do it? Create this thing? How'd you infect them?"

"The creation took some time, but I finally managed to create something that wouldn't kill them," Akihiro explained. "I'm still trying to find a balance, though."

Akihiro looked at the lab equipment on the table. He seemed to be reminiscing. He seemed proud of his actions, as horrible as they were.

"I combined the DNA of the most violent animals at the zoo," he went on proudly. "I took DNA from several animals known for their aggressive nature, such as tigers, bears, elephants, snakes, wolves, rhinos and even crocodiles. I was trying to find balance between all the animal DNA so those infected will have excellent killing instinct and the strength to back it up. I'm sure you've noticed by now that the infected people are stronger than your average person. The infection enhances certain qualities, such as speed and strength. It gives them one hell of a boost."

"So not only do they act like animals, but they also have the strength and speed of the animals they were infused with. Is that right?"

Akihiro nodded. "Yes, exactly. I still haven't been able to perfect it. Though they have the strength and aggression, they seem to lose part of their humanity. They act more animal than man, it seems. They are unable to speak or understand the human language anymore and will attack anyone."

Akihiro put a hand to his chin, thoughtfully. He looked around at all the beakers and jars containing different items with a sigh.

"I'm sure with a little more time, I can perfect this," he said. "To be honest, every one of them was an experiment. I had no idea what the results would be or how long it would take. Even the one I gave your friend there was different."

"Different?" Naruto questioned.

"Yes. While the others were infected with a mixture of different animal samples, his was primarily tiger DNA. He was fused with only one animal whereas the others were a complexed assortment."

Naruto looked at Sai who hadn't moved since the conversation began. He gave Naruto a questioning look, as if surprised to hear this news. It seemed that now the both of them understood what was wrong with him.

"Tiger DNA? Wait, so… Sai's a tiger?" Thinking back on all the strange things Sai had been doing lately, it did make sense. His behavior did closely match that of a tiger.

"So it would seem."

Naruto and Sai looked back at Akihiro who didn't seem sorry at all for what he had put Sai through.

"And Shino," Naruto went on. "You infected him, too, didn't you? Why'd you do that? Was he about to discover your secret?"

Akihiro shrugged. "I wouldn't put it past him. That boy did seem pretty clever. He had already searched my office, apparently. It was bad enough having those noble boys in there. I knew a ninja would be craftier, so I had to do something. Not just to prevent him from uncovering the truth, but to get you and the rest of your team to take a closer look at the noble family. I figured if he was infected in the village, you would come to believe that someone in the village infected him. I hoped you would suspect the noble family since he was near the warehouse and they were running around. If you thought they had discovered him and infected him, you would be out for their blood. Overall, it was a win-win situation for me."

"But how?" asked Naruto. "How did you do this? I doubt those people just let you infect them."

"You did," said Akihiro. "That's the plus side of being a doctor. No one questions you. Do you know how many people come into my office everyday with aches and pains or for minor injuries or check-ups? I have at least six people in there on a slow day. If anyone pisses off the noble family, I get even more. I just loaded it into a needle and gave them an injection. They didn't all go berserk at once, but close enough to keep the noble family busy. In your friend's case, I didn't have time to give him an injection so I merely pressed it into his wound while I was closing it up. If you ninja didn't notice a thing, why would any of them? Even your friend didn't know what was going on."

Naruto felt horrible. He felt so foolish. The doctor infected Sai right under their noses and they did nothing to stop him. They didn't even notice he had done it. Naruto felt like an idiot. Then again, Sakura, the medic, was right there and hadn't noticed anything amiss. In spite of this, Naruto felt like he had allowed it to happen and should have done something to prevent it.

"It must have taken some time to work," said Akihiro. "Pressing it into the wound rather than inject it might have slowed things down a bit, or maybe it was the product itself. After all, he was the only one given a single animal to fuse with. Everyone else had a combination which might have sped things up a bit. I have to say, he seems a bit more stable than the others. But that's not what I wanted for this. I need aggression."

"Keep talking like that and that's all you'll get," Naruto growled.

Sai gave a snarl, backing him up.

Akihiro studied Sai's response, interested. "Does he understand you to a certain extent? Perhaps the jumble of so many animals left the people a bit too erratic. Perhaps it's their aggression. After all, people tend not to listen if they are in a fit of rage. I'm wondering if they are like this because it's impossible for all the different animal components to be calm at once which is why they are constantly enraged. I'll have to run some more tests to see for sure."

"Screw you and your tests!" Naruto spat. "I still don't get why the hell you did this. You seem to want to pin this whole thing on members of the noble family. What have you got against them? I would have figured you'd like all the business they're giving you from the way you're talking."

Akihiro frowned. "What have I got against them? Have you seen the state of this village? They're terrible!" he shouted. "The villagers are terrified of them. We're afraid to make a move because they might do something. They rule by fear. Every one of them. There's not a damn good thing about them."

"They're not all as bad as you think. Sayo isn't like that. She even hates how people are afraid of her family. She doesn't like any of it."

"I don't believe that for a minute," said Akihiro. "She's young, but in time, she will become as cold and heartless as the rest of them. Give it time. I certainly will not. I want to show everyone what they truly are. They're not going to protect us. They don't care. They don't care about anyone but themselves. I think it's about time we got someone else to rule."

Naruto sneered at him. "Who?"

"Who do you think? Me!" said Akihiro. "I'm better fit to rule than the rest of them."

"You?" Naruto nearly choked on his own words, he was so baffled by the notion. "You infected all these people! You think you're fit to rule this village?"

"You're aware of the rules of the noble family, aren't you?" asked Akihiro. "The noble family remains in power until someone outside the bloodline defeats them. Then the victor becomes the head of the new noble family and the ones who were defeated are out on their ear. Few have tried, but none have succeeded. Because of their power, no one wants to attempt it."

"Not even you, apparently," said Naruto. "I'm not an idiot. I see what you're doing. You know you can't win, so you came up with this animal infection to enhance your strength so you would be a match for them. But you don't know what it will do to you, so you tested it out on all these people first."

Akihiro scoffed. "That's only one part of it. You fail to see the larger scale here, boy."

"What larger scale?"

"The noble family is also supposed to protect the villagers. I couldn't decide which plan I wanted to go with, so I decided on seeing how this would go. You're right, I did test the serum out on the villagers first because I had no idea what it would do to me. Once I tweak it, I'll use it on myself. In the meantime, I wanted to see where this plan would take me."

"Plan?" Naruto asked.

"Yes. I wanted to give the noble family a challenge. Something they couldn't face or wouldn't be able to fight. If their duty is to protect the people, they won't fight back. If that's the case, the infected people would tear them apart. If the noble family does fight back, then they're hurting their own people which would cause the rest of the village to rebel and attack them. Either the noble family will back down, knowing they broke their own rules, or they would attack the villagers. If they did that, there wouldn't be a village to protect. No matter which way this went, this infection was going to be their demise."

In short, he put the noble family in an impossible position. No matter what they chose, they would lose.

Naruto clenched his fists. "And you think you deserve to rule this village? To be its leader? You were going to sacrifice the villagers just to attain power! Even killing members of the noble family in order to do that!"

"What choice did I have?" asked Akihiro. "I already tried to marry into the noble family, but that didn't work."

Naruto put his rage on hold to learn more about this. "What do you mean?"

"Lady Sukiyumi was an only child and a girl, no less. Unless she married, the bloodline would end with her," explained Akihiro. "In order to maintain a strong bloodline, she couldn't marry just anyone. It had to be someone strong who could uphold the family strength and honor. Someone who could offer her strong children. A tournament was held in the village. The winner would marry Sukiyumi. Male villager against male villager, one advancing to the next round. Finally, it was down to two and the winner, this young farmer boy, got to marry her and by doing so became a member of the noble family."

Naruto raised his brow. "Let me guess, you came in second place."

Akihiro glared at him. "Actually, I didn't make it past the third round. It was humiliating. I actually have a fighting background and this farmer boy takes the position? If I could, I would have taken him on just to show him what's what."

"Wait a minute, what?"

"The tournament. See, you can't fight members of the noble family, so it was villager versus villager in order to…"

"No, not that!" Naruto waved his hands to get Akihiro to stop talking. "What you just said about having a fighting background. What the hell are you talking about?"

"Oh, that." Akihiro explained it to Naruto as if it wasn't anything new or exciting. "Way back when, I was away from the village, studying medicine. I was also training a group of young men while my uncle was on leave. He was a general of sorts. He trained all sorts of people. Young men wanting to become knights or guards for noblemen or princesses. Special forces or those who just wanted to learn to fight in case their homelands were ever under attack. My uncle started this during a great ninja war. He thought it wasn't right for ninja to be the only ones who knew how to fight, so he trained anyone who wanted it. After all, the ninja battles were migrating closer to civilian villages. They had to protect themselves."

Naruto knew about the ninja war and how it devastated villages in different lands, whether they were ninja villages or not. Training civilians in the art of combat wasn't a bad idea. It sounded like Akihiro's uncle trained anyone who wanted it, whether it was for a job or just self-defense.

"I was trained by my uncle when I wasn't studying medicine. He was training a group of soldiers when he was wounded. While he waited for his leg to heal, I was put in charge of his troops. I trained them. I trained them hard, working them until their bodies were sore and could barely stand." Akihiro smiled at the thought. "I was so proud of our achievements. I had grown strong and so have they. They passed every test. Nothing could get in their way."

Akihiro's smile faded and he clenched his fists, remembering.

"They went off to battle and those who returned were severely injured. I mended their wounds and put them through additional training. They went off to battle again and the same thing happened. I didn't understand how this could have happened. They trained. They passed every test. It was impossible for them to fail. Or so I thought. After all, they were only human. My uncle told me that this often happened even after training for years. Some simply did not survive combat. Not even the ones he trained."

It was a harsh reality, but Naruto knew it was true. Ninja or not, those who entered combat might not survive, no matter how strong they were. People Naruto believed were undefeatable were struck down in battle. People who had been training longer. People he loved. It was reality. Even knowing this, he was never ready for it.

He understood why someone in Akihiro's position would be frustrated when the team he trained lost. When the people he made strong got hurt. How some never returned.

"I tried using what I had learned in medicine to help them. I tried to enhance their bodies. Gave them performance enhancing drugs to bulk them up. It did not work. In the end, my uncle recovered and sent me home to this village to be a doctor. And I became a great one, but I was still bothered by what had happened while I was studying." Akihiro chuckled. "When the noble family became too much, I saw my chance to try again."

The doctor of this village had an interesting past that explained his motivation of today. He trained numerous soldiers but many of them did not survive combat. He tried giving them drugs that would enhance their bodies, but they still failed. Over the years, he decided to create a drug using animal DNA in order to have the perfect fighter. He took DNA from several animals known for their aggressive nature and infected his trusting patients.

"But all for what?" Naruto asked him, his rage returning. "Just to show up the noble family? Because you don't like the way they do things? Because you're jealous?"

Akihiro scoffed, rolling his eyes. "I already told you that the current noble family isn't fit to rule."

"And you are? You intentionally infected innocent people because you were too much of a coward to go after the noble family yourself!" Naruto snapped.

"What did you call me?" Akihiro glared.

"You heard me! You're a coward! You're using other people to do the fighting for you while you sit here and wait for all the hard work to be done. You knew you couldn't take the noble family on yourself, so you decided to use innocent villagers instead. That way if the noble family kills them, you'll be safe. Better them than you, right? Is that it? You knew these people stood a good chance of dying and you didn't care. You intentionally infected them with a dangerous serum. Isn't that against your oath or something? Never mind being a doctor, you intentionally put innocent villagers in harm's way. That goes against the noble family's oath. I don't care what you think of the noble family. You're not fit to rule!"

"And who are you to tell me what I deserve?"

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki and the only thing you deserve is an ass-kicking!"

Sai snarled next to him in agreement.

Akihiro narrowed his eyes at the pair of ninja. "Then bring it on."

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27:**

The people within the warehouse, emboldened by the voices outside, began to ram themselves against the heavy doors. They reached through the gaps, attempting to grab fistfuls of juicy flesh they could sink their teeth into.

Kado and Ran's feet slid, leaving long grooves in the dirt. They used everything they had to keep the doors shut but it still wasn't enough. The chains holding the doors closed groaned and clanged noisily, threatening to break. The metal sheets weren't enough to barricade the doors either.

"Ran!" Kado grabbed his brother and pulled him aside as one of the handles burst from the door. It hung from the chains like an earring, the screws long gone.

With the handle from one of the doors missing, there was nothing for the chains to hold together. One door swung open with a bang and the other was pushed open forcefully, shoving Kado and his brother aside.

In an attempt to keep the crowd from escaping, Ran used his own body to push them back. It was a foolish and useless move. With one hard swing, a man threw Ran backwards and advanced.

"Move!" Sakura warned Kado and the others. Stepping in front of Ran, she slammed her fist against the ground.

The controlled shockwave moved forward, causing large chunks of earth to rise up and throw the infected people back inside. The chunks then acted as a jagged wall, blocking the warehouse's only opening.

Sakura's strength came as no surprise to her friends but it had dropped the jaws of the two brothers.

"Are you ok?" Sakura asked Ran, holding out her hand to help him up.

"I love you," he blurted out.

"What?"

"Thank you," he said quickly, hoping she hadn't heard his previous statement. He took her hand and got to his feet.

"How long will that hold?" asked Hinata.

"Don't know, but there's still a chance they could climb out through that opening at the top. And now they can dig their way out if they're smart enough to figure that out."

"Depending on what animal they are at the moment, it's possible. It's just dirt, after all."

The warehouse shook, rattled by the cries to the furious crowd and their combined movement. The group could see bits and pieces of the earth blockade crumble away. It would not hold back the crowd for long.

"Everyone, get ready."

They all took their positions, ready for a fight.

* * *

Giving a battle cry, Naruto ran forward. Akihiro ran out to meet him in the center of the room and they two collided. Naruto punched Akihiro in the jaw and the doctor did the same to him. It was a hard punch. Naruto would have expected this kind of power from a ninja. Clearly, Akihiro remembered his training.

Naruto pulled back for another go. Akihiro dodged and kicked Naruto in the knee, weakening his stance. Akihiro took advantage of this and punched Naruto in the face for a second time. When he prepared to do it again, Sai leapt out in front to stop him. He sank his teeth into the man's arm, drawing blood. This gave Naruto enough time to recover and slug Akihiro in the face.

Sai released Akihiro and returned to Naruto's side, snarling at the enemy. Whether he was part tiger or not, he understood what needed to be done and who his comrades were.

"Together, Sai!" Naruto told him.

Sai growled and joined Naruto in the attack.

They charged and Akihiro took several steps back, as if retreating. Naruto came at him with fists and Sai came at him with teeth.

A moment later, they were both thrown backwards and Naruto had a cut on his knuckles. Akihiro had pulled out a weapon.

"What the hell?"

Akihiro showed them decorative dagger with the chiseled blade on one side. He held it confidently, but Naruto could tell that this wasn't his weapon of choice.

It wasn't just the way he held it that tipped Naruto off. It was the fact that it was a dagger, and a decorative one at that. It was far too fancy for someone like him. It was in fine condition, too. Freshly polished and shining like a jewel.

"That dagger," Naruto said as he stared at the weapon. "The noble family uses daggers a lot. And we were supposed to deliver something to their house the other day. It would have been small. Even that lady said it was a weapon passed down in their family."

The dagger Akihiro held would have fit perfectly in that box.

"You took it?"

Akihiro cracked a smile. "I knew the noble family would attack you if they discovered it missing. They would have blamed you for stealing it."

"But you stole it. How the hell did you manage that?" Naruto asked. "Sakura never put down the box and we didn't meet you until after Sai got hurt. How did you take it without opening the box?"

After he asked this, Naruto realized the only logical explanation was if it was never in the box in the first place.

Akihiro conformed this. "I intercepted the box before it could be delivered to your village. You got the empty box, while I had the dagger. The package with the empty box was set to your village and you were told to deliver it. You wouldn't have known the box was empty unless you opened it first."

"So we never made a mistake," Naruto concluded. "The box was empty all along. We've been carrying around an empty box? That's just what my friends thought. But why would you..?"

"Isn't it obvious?" asked Akihiro. "When dealing with the Arashi clan, it's best to be thorough. I figured if the mob of people wasn't enough to defeat them, the Leaf Village would."

Naruto lowered his brow, trying to understand what Akihiro meant. It sounded like he expected the Leaf Village to attack the noble family, but how could he guarantee such a thing would transpire?

"You see, I knew if you delivered an empty package to the noble family, they would think you stole from them and attack," explained the doctor. "Naturally, if you didn't stick around to defend yourselves, you would have run. Most likely to a doctor, correct? No one else would open their doors for you, so I did the kindly thing and let you in. As I treated your friend, I slipped the infection into his body. I didn't know how many of you would be injured, but the numbers didn't matter as long as at least one of you got hurt because then I would have an excuse and the perfect cover to infect you."

"And then Sai went back to the village with us and started displaying signs."

"That's right," Akihiro said with a nod. "I informed the noble family that a ninja had been infected when the outbreak began. I knew they would go to your village to retrieve him. Knowing what the noble family had in mind to rectify the situation, I knew your ninja village would be out for blood. After all, they would be enemies of the Leaf Village, wouldn't they?"

Naruto finally understood Akihiro's plan. If the Leaf Village found out that the noble family had killed Sai after promising to cure him, the village would be out for revenge. Naruto certainly would be, along with several of his friends. The Leaf Village would make it their business to go after the noble family, especially after killing so many innocent people.

That was Akihiro's plan all along. He was covering all his bases. If one thing didn't work, he had a backup. If the mob didn't overwhelm the clan, the village would rebel. If the rebellion wasn't enough, the Leaf Village would get involved after learning that one of their own was murdered.

Everything was planned out carefully to ensure the upheaval of the noble family.

This only made Naruto angrier.

"You planned on getting Sai killed, didn't you? You wanted him to die all along! What the hell did Sai ever do to you?"

"I know how the noble family operates. I knew they would kill him. He may be innocent in all this, along with the rest of those people, but it's a necessary sacrifice. They are all a means to an end. Everything to show the people how monstrous the noble family is. I deserve to rule, not them!"

"You're the monster!" Naruto snapped, taking out a kunai. "You're a doctor and you intentionally infect innocent people! You knew your actions would get innocent people killed and you just admitted you didn't care and that it was your plan all along! You're hurting people who trust you to get what you want! Killing innocent villagers and even people passing through who have nothing to do with any of this! And you think you deserve to rule?!"

Naruto charged and their weapons clanged together.

"A leader should look out for their people and protect them! Maybe the noble family isn't perfect, but at least they didn't kill innocent people for their own gain! At least they're trying to protect the village! Unlike you!"

"I deserve to rule!" Akihiro shouted back. "Not them! I'm a better ruler than they are! Than they will ever be!"

"That's crap!" Naruto kicked Akihiro in the chest and landed on a counter. He sprang into the air and came down on top of Akihiro. "You're no leader! You don't deserve it!"

"What the hell do you know?" Akihiro shoved him aside.

"I know that someone in power should protect others, especially if they're a leader."

"I can do that."

"Not if you had to endanger your people to do it! Not if you had to infect them and use them as pawns to fight the noble family."

Akihiro grabbed Naruto by the front of his jacket and attempted to stab him, but Sai pounced on him, forcing his arm down.

"You use other people to do the fighting for you," Naruto went on. "You didn't even have the guts to challenge the noble family yourself. You'd rather sacrifice innocent people to get your way. So you won't put yourself in danger. You're a coward! You're no leader of anything!"

Akihiro threw Sai to the ground and tried to stab Naruto again. Naruto blocked with his kunai and slammed his head into Akihiro's. The doctor flipped Naruto over his shoulder and threw him on top of Sai. He tried to stab both of them but Naruto kicked Akihiro's wrist, giving them enough time to escape.

Sai got to his feet and charged. Akihiro picked up a beaker and threw it at his head. It broke against Sai's forehead but he kept coming. He sprang up and planted his palms on Akihiro's chest, pushing him backwards. He started clawing at Akihiro's face, scratching him with his fingernails. Akihiro turned the blade around and stabbed Sai's arm. As Sai recoiled from the pain, Akihiro threw Sai into the air. He soared over one table and slammed into the next, shattering several jars and beakers.

"Sai!"

Sai got up, circled Akihiro and then attacked. He lifted him off the ground and threw him across the room with his newfound strength. Sai roared and followed after him. He leapt through the air and landed on top of him, biting his shoulder. Akihiro used the dagger to stab Sai's side and he quickly got off the doctor.

Now bleeding, Sai seemed threatened and wanted to return the favor. Knowing he was in danger of being injured again, Sai kept his distance, glaring at Akihiro.

He wasn't fighting like a ninja, but as a tiger.

Showing his teeth, Sai struck again and Akihiro broke another beaker over Sai's head. He kicked Sai so hard, he came crashing down on a table, sending broken glass to the floor.

Naruto looked around, realizing something of vital importance.

This room contained the source of the infection. If they destroyed this room, they destroyed any chance of curing Sai and the others. He had to protect it.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

The newly conjured clones set to work moving the tables aside, giving them more room to fight. They gathered up any loose materials and stashed them away in drawers and sinks. They couldn't lose a single thing here. Until they knew exactly which container it was, everything was important.

As his clones pushed tables against the wall and covered beakers with their own bodies, Naruto continued his fight with Akihiro.

"And you say I'm a coward for letting others fight for me?" He scoffed. "You're doing the exact same thing, boy!"

"I'm not making my clones fight in my place, though. I'm fighting alongside them. Besides, they're not fighting you now, are they? I want the pleasure of kicking your sorry ass myself!"

Akihiro thrust the dagger towards Naruto's chest. He drew a kunai to block the attack just in time. He swung the kunai at Akihiro who deflected it with the dagger.

As they went back and forth, Naruto grew more aware of the doctor's capabilities. Just because this man wasn't a ninja didn't mean he could let his guard down. His combat training alone made him a force to be reckoned with, but it was his skills as a doctor that made him especially threatening. Even without his strength, the doctor could easily defeat Naruto if the ninja wasn't careful.

Using his medical knowledge, Akihiro knew exactly where to aim in order to cause massive damage. He knew the vital areas of the human body, but he also knew the exact attack to use to render Naruto incapable of moving without killing him.

Whether he wanted Naruto dead or not was irrelevant. As long as Naruto couldn't move, Akihiro would be the victor of this battle. Being paralyzed or knocked unconscious was just as frightening as being killed in this situation.

Naruto took his chance and tried to stab the doctor in the shoulder. If he couldn't use his arm, he couldn't use the dagger. Unfortunately, Akihiro knew where Naruto was going to aim long before he made the move and stepped aside. He moved to slice Naruto's tendon but Naruto moved before he could. His sleeve was torn and blood sprayed from the cut on his forearm, but he was still able to hold the weapon.

Akihiro stepped forward and plunged the dagger towards Naruto's stomach. He jumped back and tried to kick the weapon from Akihiro's hand, but it wasn't hard enough. Akihiro managed to hold onto the dagger and used the handle to hit Naruto in the throat.

Naruto staggered back, holding his neck. For several frightening moments he couldn't breathe. His throat throbbed and he felt as if something were left inside him, preventing him from making a sound or breathing. At last, he was able to draw in enough breath to start coughing violently.

Seeing his chance, Akihiro moved forward and attempted to stab him again.

While the real one recovered, his clones got in the way of the dagger, protecting him. Akihiro sliced through each one and they vanished.

He saw the real one hunched over and moved in to attack. Something fell on him from above. Sai had pounced with all the grace of a tiger and settled on Akihiro's shoulders, weighing him down. Off balance, Akihiro stumbled to the side and fell against a table. Sai started scratching at his face and Akihiro held up the dagger to shield himself. In the midst of an attack, Sai's hand brush against the blade, cutting his palm. He pulled back which gave Akihiro ample time to throw him across the room.

Sai landed on his back but was quickly on his feet again and prepared to charge. He dashed forward but Akihiro was ready. He clubbed Sai over the head with a book, but it wasn't enough. Undeterred, Sai bit Akihiro's thigh. Akihiro beat Sai with his fist. When that didn't work, he tried to use the dagger.

Naruto grabbed Akihiro's arm, protecting Sai. He had to use both hands to keep Akihiro at bay.

"You annoying little…" Akihiro drove his elbow deep into Naruto's stomach, causing him to loosen his grip. He took a wide swing and cut Naruto across the chest.

Sai watched Naruto fall backwards and hit the floor. The thud Naruto made was enough to make him release Akihiro's leg. He stared at Naruto's fallen body with big eyes. Akihiro kicked Sai in the face and grabbed the back of his shirt. He lifted Sai off the ground and threw him.

Sai bounced off two clones and rolled under a table. One of the two clones popped, exposing part of a table covered with different tubes and vials. The clones moved closer together to make up for the absence of the one, making sure the chemicals remained safe.

Akihiro moved closer to them, attempting to eliminate them all. Naruto wrapped himself around Akihiro's waist and held on tight. In such a position, Akihiro couldn't miss.

Rather than use the dagger, he pulled out a syringe he picked up from the table he was pushed into and jabbed it into Naruto's neck. He put his thumb on the plunger, injecting him.

"Let's see how you like being an animal."

Naruto pulled away, holding his neck.

Akihiro smirked. "Even if your strength is increased, you will be too feral to understand what's going on. Your mission to defeat me will be long forgotten. Hell, you'll even attack your own friends if you are smart enough to figure your way out of here. You won't be much of a threat to me."

POP!

Naruto was gone.

"What?"

"You bastard!" Naruto came at Akihiro from behind and punched him.

Akihiro was sent tumbling down the center of the room and slammed into a metal closet. He stood, realizing that the Naruto he had injected was only a clone. This must have been the real one.

"As if the dagger's not enough, I have to worry about you infecting me as well?"

"Why do you think I've been so open with you?" Akihiro asked him. "I never intended you to leave this room. If you ever did, you wouldn't be able to tell your friends anything about what you've learned. You'll just be another infected animal they have to put down."

Naruto's fist still stung after hitting Akihiro but he didn't feel it.

Naruto looked at the empty syringe on the floor. Akihiro still had the infection on him. Maybe not on him, but it was accessible to him. He picked it up off one of the tables his clones had move. Could every needle in this room be filled with the infection? Was everything in here a threat and their one hope?

If Akihiro could just grab it off a table, Naruto was in trouble. He didn't know where Akihiro had stashed them away. That probably wasn't his only one.

With his clones covering several stationary tables, now he had to worry about the ones that had been moved across the room. Since he didn't know what was the infection and what wasn't, he would have to spread his clones over every inch of the lab in order to make sure it wasn't used or damaged during the fight.

But if he didn't know which was the infection they needed and which things were obsolete…

It was probably foolish, but Naruto wasn't sure how else to do it without asking Akihiro where the source was and risk being lied to. This was the only option Naruto could think of.

Naruto got into a fighting stance and prepared to charge. Akihiro didn't make a move. Naruto tried to make it obvious that he wasn't about to attack, but Akihiro still wouldn't move. He had hoped the doctor would run in a specific direction or grab something off a table or both. Since he wasn't doing anything, Naruto had no choice but to charge. Staring at each other wasn't going to get them anywhere.

Naruto broke into a run, heading straight for Akihiro. Still he did nothing.

What if he relied solely on that dagger for the duration of the battle?

This was no time to worry about that. He would fight until he saw his chance. That was all he could do at this point.

Naruto thrust his arm forward and the dagger met his kunai.

* * *

"This isn't working!" Shikamaru cried as he pressed his hands against the mound of earth keeping the prisoners inside the warehouse. They were already starting to dig their way out and some had climbed out the top and were sliding down the pile towards the ninja.

Hinata struck one of the infected people, keeping them from harming Shikamaru. "It's just dirt. They're going to tunnel out eventually. We need a plan."

"I can't restrain them all," Shikamaru told her. "I've tried. With their numbers and power, it's eating away at my chakra. I still haven't fully recovered from the last time. In their current state, I'll only be able to handle a couple and it won't be for very long."

Hinata saw another one climb over the top of the mound and came at them from above. She pushed the infected man aside with both palms. "Anything we do will only be temporary."

"None of us have the jutsu necessary for sealing up that broken door. And now that it's covered by a wall of dirt, it'll be even harder for us to reach," said Sakura.

"Then we fight," declared Ran. "We don't have much of a choice at this point."

"Perhaps not," agreed Kado.

Shino pulled against the ropes, desperate to get away. Though the binds around his torso were still intact, the section around the doorknob was hanging on by a thread. He pulled again and the knot slipped free and Shino was freed from the door.

He staggered to the street and looked at the warehouse with a snarl. He then turned his head to the side and gave a dull whine, looking off in the direction of the pharmacy.

The warehouse walls shook and pieces of earth started to crumble away. More and more were starting to climb out of the warehouse. Every time one got to freedom, the ninja would try to immobilize them. As the ninja fought, the two brothers took up arms and tried to hold the people back with anything they had on hand. Ran clubbed them with the shaft of a shovel and Kado kicked and punched those who came for him.

Shino looked back at the warehouse, observing the chaos.

Then, tapping into another animal he had been fused with, Shino threw back his head and gave a long, loud howl.

* * *

Far from the warehouse, Akamaru's ears twitched, picking up the noise and whined. He heard Shino's howl and knew he had to inform his partner.

"What's the matter, Akamaru? Something up?"

He whined and pointed his nose in the direction of the warehouse.

Kiba frowned. "Something must be going on. I have to go and help my friends."

"I'll come with you," said Sayo.

"No, you stay here and look after the zookeeper. He needs you. Besides, what if someone shows up like the doctor and attacks him again? You'll have to be there to protect him."

Sayo sat back down on the bench. "Ok. Once Zumi feels better, I'll come meet you."

"It's Zumitsu." There was no irritation in the zookeeper's voice this time when he corrected her. He had grown so used to saying it that it had become a reflex. Now he was saying it without knowing he was.

Kiba nodded to Sayo. "Let's go, Akamaru. We're needed in battle."

Akamaru barked and carried Kiba out of the zoo and into battle.

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28:**

Naruto and Akihiro clashed blades again. The battle seemed to wage on with no end in sight.

Knowing that the clones wouldn't help him, Akihiro started to attack them when he had a spare moment. Naruto was unsure why he was doing this at first, then discovered that Akihiro was betting on Naruto taking the place of every clone he popped if the items on the table were in danger. If Naruto did this, he would end up taking the hit himself and not a clone.

Naruto summoned up even more, using some of them to restrain Akihiro. The doctor easily defeated those.

"Are you even trying, boy?" he asked as he slashed them apart.

In truth, he wasn't. He just wanted Akihiro to feel enough fear to do what Naruto was hoping he would do. So far, that hadn't happened. Naruto wasn't about to give up. He knew it would happen eventually.

Naruto rushed forward and Akihiro dragged a table out between them. Naruto stopped abruptly, unwilling to endanger the items on the table. Knowing he would do this, Akihiro kicked the table into Naruto's stomach and stepped onto it, using the added height to attack Naruto from a different angle.

"This is all the power a ninja has to offer?" asked Akihiro as he backed Naruto into a wall. "I'm disappointed. I was really hoping for more."

"I'm not here to impress you."

"No, but you are here to defeat me. You'll never accomplish that with your current strength. Perhaps I should make a batch of my revised serum and sell it to your village. Who doesn't need a little boost, am I right?"

Naruto shoved him away. "Why do you think this is what's best?" he asked. "To change people?"

"I'll admit, that wasn't the plan at first, but…"

"I'm not talking about what you did to the village in order to get your way and overthrow the noble family. I'm talking about what you said before about the people you trained. You said you gave them drugs to enhance their bodies. Why would you do that?"

"Because I was sick of them returning in defeat. If they succeed in training, they should succeed anywhere. I was pissed that they couldn't live up to that. I could see that skill wasn't the issue, but rather power. As long as they had power, skill wasn't needed."

"That's not true," said Naruto.

"Oh? Look out there," said Akihiro. "The people I've infected have the noble family backed into a corner. These people are now more powerful than them. This only proves my point."

"Just because you're really good at something doesn't mean you'll always succeed. Be realistic here. But that doesn't mean you should stop trying. And it doesn't mean you should take shortcuts. And even if you're defeated, that just means you have another chance to do better. And you have people who can help you through it and they can help you get stronger. No one person can do everything alone. You need people with you. Numbers really do help. You need people and strength and skill. It's not just one thing."

Akihiro scoffed. "Nice speech, but you and I both know you're just spouting off nonsense so I won't notice that clone sneaking up behind me."

Akihiro swung his arm to the side and plunged the dagger into the belly on a clone which popped immediately.

"You really are subpar, you know that?" Akihiro stepped closer, dagger in hand. "You fail to see so much. After the way the noble family attacked you and your friends, I figured you would have been on my side. You would have agreed to take them down."

"Even if the noble family attacked us, they only did it because of you. Besides, they didn't infect my friend. You did that."

"To prove a point and get everyone on the same track." Akihiro cracked a smile. "Be honest. You wouldn't be here if your friend hadn't been taken, would you?"

Naruto hesitated.

"I know I'm right. No matter what was happening here, you only got involved because your friend was in danger. What I do here is none of your concern. So how about we work out a deal? I cure your friends and you go home? Simple, yes? With your friends back to normal, you'll have no business here and that will be the end of it."

"Are you saying you have a cure?" Naruto raised his brow.

"I'm saying if I return them to normal, you'll have no reason to be here. You're only here for them, after all."

In other words, Akihiro didn't have a cure.

It didn't change anything as far as Naruto was concerned. If anything, he saw it as a test. This ultimatum was meant to test Naruto's character and he wasn't about to fail such a simple test.

"Screw you," he hissed.

Akihiro's smile began to fade.

"You really think I'll just ignore what you've been doing in this village? What you've done and will continue to do? Someone has to stop you. I'm not going to look the other way just because you cure my friends. What about the others? All those innocent people?"

"It's not your village," said Akihiro. "It's none of your concern. Like I said, if your friend wasn't infected, you wouldn't be involved. You would have gone home and knew nothing about any of this."

Naruto gave a wary chuckle. "You're right. Once a mission is over, we go home and that's the end of it. Your actions gave us a reason to come back. That's how we discovered all this."

He was right. If Sai hadn't been infected, Naruto and his friends wouldn't have learned about any of this. They would have never known. The doctor's actions and the events that followed lured Naruto back to this village. If no one he knew had been infected, if the noble family hadn't come to the Leaf, Akihiro's plan would have continued and he might have succeeded.

It was because of his actions that Naruto and his friends were here now. Their presence was bringing about change.

Whether or not they were aware of what Naruto's friends were doing with the noble family, the fact was that things were changing. Akihiro's plan wasn't so flawless anymore.

Instead of declaring war on the noble family, Naruto brought his friends with him to save Sai rather than find out about the aftermath and were now working with the noble family and attempting to change their minds. This wasn't Akihiro's plan. He never anticipated Leaf ninja to show up or for them to try to dissuade the noble family.

He never accounted for someone like Naruto showing up at the village. He never factored in Naruto's determination and he never predicted the lengths Naruto would go to in order to save a friend.

Not only that, but he never predicted that Sayo would be the one to inform him of her family's plans. It seemed that Akihiro didn't know the noble family as well as he thought.

Everything that had taken place led up to this moment.

"I guess I should thank you," Naruto confessed. "If you hadn't infected Sai, I probably wouldn't be here. Since you did, now I can stop you."

Akihiro growled. "And if I hadn't, you wouldn't be here. What I'm saying is that you have no business here. It's only because of your friend. What the hell do you care what goes on in this village? What do you care what happens to these people? It's not your problem!"

Naruto cracked his own smile. "Sorry, but that's an attitude I just don't have in me. If someone's in trouble, whether I know them or not, I gotta help them."

"If that's your philosophy, why don't you help me take down the noble family?"

Naruto shrugged. "Because I don't see you as someone in need. I see you as someone I gotta beat."

Akihiro narrowed his eyes. "You are a fool."

They sprinted towards each other and Naruto cut a slit in the doctor's lab coat. As Naruto moved behind him, Akihiro grabbed Naruto's wrist and pulled him back. He released Naruto's wrist to fill his hand will a syringe.

This was the moment Naruto had been waiting for.

"Now!"

The clones ran from their positions and grabbed Akihiro. Before he could stick any of them with the needle, a clone reached out and grabbed it from his hand.

As long as they had the infection, Naruto wouldn't need to guard everything so heavily. He still wanted his clones to protect the room because it was so valuable in this situation, but it was the syringe containing the infection he wanted most of all.

With the syringe in hand, the clone jumped away and put it in an empty jar to keep it safe. It started to run towards the exit.

"You!" Akihiro seethed and started slashing the clones. Those clinging to his legs and coat were kicked away and he came closer to Naruto. He grabbed something else off a table and tried to stab him. The remaining clones grabbed Akihiro's arm, keeping the needle from the original.

Akihiro spun his body, throwing off two clones and stepping on another. He freed his other hand and used the dagger to stab those that remained. He saw Naruto making his way to the other side of the room and started to go after him.

For the first time, Akihiro let go of the dagger. He threw it at Naruto's back as he retreated. The tip of the blade entered Naruto's spine and his body went limp. He couldn't move his arms or his legs. He couldn't even feel them.

"Try making clones now, ninja boy!"

POP!

"What?!"

The real Naruto had already made it to safety, but in the chaos, Akihiro had lost track of which were clones and which was the real one.

They both made a grab for the dagger. As Akihiro was about to reach it first, Naruto planted both feet in Akihiro's chest and sent him backwards. Naruto landed on his back in the middle of the hard floor.

Akihiro recovered faster than Naruto and stood over him, syringe in hand.

"It won't matter," declared Akihiro. "Once I take care of you, the other clones will vanish. You will never make it out of here. Not as a human. You're finished!"

Naruto crawled backwards, but he was constantly in the doctor's shadow. If he tried a physical attack, he would risk being stuck with the needle. To make sure Naruto didn't go anywhere, Akihiro stepped on the teenager's ankle, holding him in place.

Naruto cringed from the pain.

He looked up at Akihiro and the menacing look on his face.

Then his gaze wandered above the doctor's head where a certain someone was crouching in the rafters.

Without making a sound, Sai stealthily made his way to the ceiling and walked like a cat across the rafters, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. The way he moved made it hard to tell where the ninja began and the animal ended. They had blended together so seamlessly.

Crouched with his eyes fixed squarely on Akihiro, Sai rotated his shoulders, preparing to spring.

With a loud roar, Sai pounced and landed on Akihiro, biting down on the arm that held the syringe. The ambush was a success. The doctor never saw him coming.

Screaming in pain, Akihiro dropped the syringe and pushed against Sai's forehead with the palm of his hand. Sai only bit harder, drawing blood. Sai pulled his arm down, holding on with both hands. Snarling fiercely, Sai jerked his head back and forth, tearing apart Akihiro's flesh. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get Sai off without causing himself further injury.

Sai wouldn't let go. He also wouldn't change positions or attack from a different angle.

Akihiro realized too late that Sai's main objective now was to hold him in place.

A loud whooshing sound directed his attention to the far wall where Naruto and another clone were standing, a glowing sphere in one of their palms.

His eyes went wide.

Naruto dashed forward, sphere in hand.

Akihiro tried to escape but it was no use. Sai wouldn't let go. He beat Sai with his fist but it only enraged him.

At the last moment, Sai bent his legs. Using the enhanced strength given to him by the doctor, Sai threw Akihiro overhead and straight into Naruto's path. Sai fled the area, leaping over a counter and taking cover underneath.

Akihiro looked straight down as Naruto delivered a powerful blow to the doctor's stomach.

"Rasengan!"

The blast was so powerful, fueled by more than just his chakra. His contempt for the doctor and a desire to win and save so many added to the attack's power, sending Akihiro straight up. He went through the ceiling, the next floor and then the roof.

* * *

A man grabbed Sakura by the hair and pulled her in to bite her. Ran came to protect her, slamming the blade of the shovel over the man's hands. When he lost his grip, Ran shoved the tip of the handle into the man's stomach, pushing him away. The pain wasn't enough to stop the man, only make him angry. It fueled his bloodlust and he came at Ran instead.

He swung the shovel, blade colliding with the side of the man's face. He recoiled a little then came at him again. Sakura intervened by pushing the man into the dirt pile which was quickly growing soft due to the people digging on the other side. Soon the jagged pile of earth would be nothing but a mound of soft dirt they could easily burrow through.

Another man appeared, leaping from above down upon the two of them. A loud bark sounded and Akamaru appeared, chomping down on the man's arm in mid-descent and carried him away. Kiba flew off Akamaru's back to tackle another infected person as they tried to climb down the pile. He threw the man to the ground and pulled out a kunai to fight.

"Don't injure them," Sakura called. "It's not their fault."

"These guys are going all out," Kiba retorted. "If we don't do the same, our asses are going to be handed to us."

"We just have to stop them. Get a rope and tie them up if you can," said Hinata. "Sakura can cure them all."

"Which is why we have to keep you safe," said Ran, looking at the pink-haired girl. "You are too valuable to lose."

"I can fight just fine." Sakura kicked a woman away from Ran before she could attack him from behind. "Concentrate on them."

Kado tried to fight off two infected people at once with a shovel. They pushed until the shovel snapped in two and Kado was left wide open. He managed to kick one away but was off balance when the other attacked, knocking him to the ground. Kado pushed against the man's chest with his foot, keeping him at a distance. He felt around for pieces of the shovel but he couldn't find it. The man pushed harder and Kado's knee was starting to bend. He couldn't hold him back much longer.

Before the man could reach Kado, he was sent flying to the left, tumbling down the street. The next moment, Kado was helped to his feet by Sukiyumi.

"Mother?" He was surprised to see her return after leaving them to handle things on their own. He thought for sure she would not be here since she did not approve. Changing her mind didn't seem possible.

"You are my child," she answered. "Even if I find fault in your choices, I will still look after you. That is my duty."

She had to make sure her children were safe.

"And though I meant what I said before about you being infected and having to treat you all the same... In truth, if you or your brother or sister were infected, of course I would search even harder for a cure. I would not have anything to happen to you."

Kado's eyes drifted to the space behind her. "Mother!" he warned.

She spun around and prepared to strike the oncoming attacker.

The infected man came at her with his teeth and nails. A second attacker came from the side, but not to strike Sukiyumi as she and her son had originally thought. The second one was after the first.

Shino rammed his head into the side of the man's rib, knocking him away from Sukiyumi. The man tumbled, got to his feet and snarled at Shino. Shino snarled back and made yipping sounds. They appeared to be conversing.

Unwilling to listen, the man attacked Shino who still had his arms bound. Shino headbutted the man again and bared his teeth. When the man made another attempt, Sukiyumi shoved the man into the dirt and pressed her knee into his spine. Kado handed her a rope and they bound the man together.

Kado looked at Shino who stared at him. Shino did not growl, but he didn't look compliant either. Though he had protected Sukiyumi, Kado wondered if it was intentional. He could have been pushing his comrade out of the way in order to protect him from her rather than the other way around. Then again, Shino did strike the man who also attacked. Kado wondered if Shino was on their side or if he was just responding the way his instincts dictated. Maybe he truly didn't know what he was doing.

Or maybe after seeing the noble family and his friends work together, he was inspired to do the same.

Kado narrowed his eyes at Shino, wondering if he even recognized his friends anymore. He had been attacking them until now. Perhaps he was just attacking anyone he deemed a threat, friend or foe.

Hoping he was on their side, Kado moved closer to remove the ropes. Shino growled and moved away, unwilling to let Kado get close to him.

"I'll free you," Kado told him gently, but it wasn't enough to convince him. Shino turned to the side and bolted in a different direction.

Maybe him protecting Sukiyumi was just a fluke. Shino still didn't have his wits about him. At least, that's how it looked to Kado.

Sukiyumi showed off her skills, binding those who escaped the warehouse with exceptional precision. She was fast and agile. Pleased to see her helping them, Shikamaru started to call orders for the others to follow. He managed to slow a couple down with his shadow long enough for Sukiyumi to reach them and tied them up. Sakura tossed others towards Kado and Ran and Akamaru dragged people by the arm for Kiba and Hinata to subdue.

It all seemed in vain. More were still coming out of the opening above the door. They had nothing to plug the opening with and any attempt to shove the crowd back inside resulted in them being pulled in themselves. At this rate, they would run out of ropes before they could recapture them all.

Two more were starting to appear at the opening but suddenly stopped, looking off in the same direction at once.

A loud rumbling sound followed by a crash.

Everyone turned and saw someone flying through the air from the next street, taking fragments of wood with him.

"What the hell is that?"

Angled by the collisions, Akihiro's soaring body curved, directing his fall towards the warehouse. He crashed through one of the glass windows and fell into the pit of people.

The crowd of infected villagers turned towards the newcomer and, as if out for revenge, were upon him in an instant.

"No! No! Get away from me! Don't!"

Akihiro's pleas went unheeded as the crowd attacked, tearing his lab coat to shreds.

The people escaping to freedom hesitated at their chance and went back inside, drawn by the sounds from within.

Kiba broke the uneasy silence. "What the hell just happened?"

"I think Naruto just happened," said Sakura.

Hinata looked in the direction the man had come from, knowing Naruto had won the fight. "Oh, Naruto..!" She cupped her hands together with admiration and concern. She hoped he was alright.

Back in the laboratory, Naruto looked at the hole he made in the ceiling and gave a short sigh, satisfied that he had sent the man flying with his attack.

Sai appeared beside him, glancing from him to the hole above. Naruto looked at his friend bathed in the natural sunlight flooding the underground lab as the florescent lights hanging from their wires hummed and crackled. They flickered before going out altogether and some popped, sending sparks raining to the tiled floor.

Naruto looked from Sai to what remained of the lab. With his clones now gone, he could see the undisturbed beakers and bottles on the tables, the undamaged metal cabinets and the equipment sitting right where they were before.

The battle was well-contained. With the control Naruto exhibited, there was minimal damage to the lab, aside from the center of the room and the hole in the ceiling. With the materials safe, they could be used to treat the people of the village. It wasn't easy to hold back, but Naruto was glad he did. Everything in this room was important.

Naruto looked back at Sai and gave him a smile, pleased to see he was safe as well. With the source of the cure in his possession, Sai and everyone else could be cured.

"Well, Sai," he said with a smile, "what do you say we get this stuff to Sakura so she can cure you and we can all go home?"

Sai answered him with a smile.

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29:**

"There he is!" Kiba shouted, pointing down the street. "Yo, Naruto! We're over here!"

When Naruto arrived with Sai in tow, his friends had already rounded up all the infected people and had plugged up the hole in the warehouse. Just to be sure no one could escape, they remained close to the building.

Sakura came running up to him. "What happened? Look at you. You were in a fight, weren't you? Hold still and let me treat your injuries."

Naruto thrust the jar out to her with his hand.

"What's this?" she asked.

"The infection," he answered. "I grabbed it before he could use it on me."

"He? Then you know who is was?"

Sukiyumi approached and stood beside Sakura with her sons. "Who is responsible for all this?"

"The doctor," Naruto told them. "You didn't find anything in his office because he had moved everything to the pharmacy. He infected Shino when he got too close. He also infected Sai when he was treating the cut on his arm. The cut he got when you threw that knife at him."

"The doctor?" Sakura gasped. She raised a hand to her mouth, beside herself with shock and anger. "He did it right in front of us and I never noticed. Right under our noses. How could I have let this happen? I should have seen it. I should have realized."

"It's not your fault, Sakura," Naruto told her. "I was beating myself up, too. To think the guy did it in front of all three of us and none of us noticed. He treated Sai's wound and had a conversation with us like everything was normal."

Sakura was still reprimanding herself for not seeing it sooner.

"He did the same thing to the people who came into his office," Naruto went on, hoping to make her feel better and let everyone know the truth. "For a check-up or whatever. He infected them all. No one noticed until it was too late."

Sukiyumi scowled. "To think… Such a trusted man would do such a thing and betray us all. The nerve of him. I'll see to it that he is punished for his crimes."

"And now that we know what it is that did it, Miss Sakura here can cure the village and their friends," added Kado.

Sakura nodded. "I'll get to work on it right away. Kado, I might need an assistant. Why don't you help me?"

"Me? Uh, sure. I'll show you to the doctor's office we've been using."

Sakura didn't include him just because it would make things go faster. She knew Kado wanted to learn how to help people in other ways and this was the perfect opportunity for him.

"The pharmacy is more or less intact," Naruto told them. "I tried to keep the fight contained as much as possible so there wouldn't be much damage to the stuff there in case you need it. If I had gone all out, I would have kicked his ass sooner."

"It's good you took your time," Sakura told him, holding up the jar. "Because of that, we have a lot to work with."

"If you need more, there's still bottles of that stuff in the lab. It's all over the place."

"Thanks, Naruto. You did a great job."

Before she could leave, Naruto grabbed her arm. "Sai helped me, too. You should thank him, as well."

"Right." Sakura turned to Sai who was standing behind Naruto. "Thanks, Sai. Good work."

Sai huffed and growled at her, but it wasn't threatening. Then he smiled.

Sakura was surprised to see this. "Has he always been able to do that?" she asked.

Naruto shrugged. "Maybe he remembered how to. I don't know."

"Come, Miss Sakura," said Kado. "We must get to work at once."

"Right. The sooner, the better." Sakura followed Kado to the undamaged doctor's office to get to work.

Sukiyumi was still shaking her head. "Why would that man do all this? Has he no shame? We trusted him."

Naruto looked behind Sukiyumi, noticing Shikamaru listening in on the conversation. It seemed he wanted to know, too.

They all needed to know.

"It's because of you," Naruto told her bluntly.

Sukiyumi looked at him as if he had just insulted her. "What?"

"The doctor told me why he did this," Naruto explained. "He said he was sick and tired of you using fear and intimidation to control people. He didn't think you were fit to rule and it had nothing to do with power. He thought you were too frightening. He didn't feel safe around you and he knew the other villagers didn't either. He developed hatred for you and the rest of the clan. He thought he could be a better ruler than you because he wouldn't scare people. But he knew he didn't stand a chance against you, so he made this infection so the villagers would do the fighting for him, whether they wanted to or not. He infected them in secret, hoping they would be strong enough to take you down. In case they didn't, he knew you would kill them, thinking there was no cure. If that happened, he knew the rest of the villagers would see you as murderers and rebel. He wanted to destroy you any way he could."

Sukiyumi looked shocked and outraged. Ran looked shocked and a little afraid. It seemed that neither of them had seen this coming. No one suspected this would happen.

"And by the way…" Naruto held out his hand behind him. Sai picked up something in his teeth and dropped it into Naruto's waiting palm. "I got this from the doctor."

Naruto held the dagger out to them with his right hand. The dagger was heavy in his hand and the blade was still stained with his own blood and Sai's.

Sukiyumi took the dagger from him with both hands and held it carefully. When she looked at the dagger, her eyes held no anger or resentment. This weapon gave her no such feelings. The polished jewels and its history made her lower the mask she always wore. Without it, she looked like a normal person receiving a gift she thought was lost a long time ago.

"He had this?" she asked him. "How did he happen upon..?"

"He's the one who stole it," Naruto told her. "Before the box reached our village, he opened it and took the dagger himself, leaving only the box. The box was empty when we got it and never knew. We didn't make a mistake. We kept it safe, but the item inside was gone before we got our hands on it."

"Why would he do that?" Ran asked.

"He knew you would fly into a rage and attack us if you thought we were thieves. He was hoping you'd do that so we'd get hurt and come to him for help. When we did, he would have infected us, just like everyone else. You see, he thought if his first plans failed, you killing Leaf shinobi after promising to cure them would be enough to make the village declare war on you for revenge. He was hoping you'd kill us so the Leaf Village would see you as enemies and attack your clan. That's why he stole it. He wanted you to attack us."

Sukiyumi gave him an open-mouthed stare. It was finally sinking in that she and her family nearly killed innocent people in a fit of rage. She was also angry that someone would use their reputation against them like this.

"I don't care if this pisses you off or not," said Naruto fearlessly. "You using fear to keep people in their place isn't working the way you think. You're only making more problems for yourself. If anything, you're making more enemies. If you don't change your ways, that doctor is going to be the first of many. Being a leader isn't just about power, you know. The people should feel safe around you, not scared. If people are scared of something, they tend to do one of two things. They either avoid it or fight it. If you don't want people to do that, then do something about it. Change for the better."

Sukiyumi held the dagger in both hands, staring at the bloodstained blade.

"I thought it was better," she said softly.

Naruto raised his brow.

Sukiyumi looked at him without a scowl for once. "I come from a long line of men. I was the first daughter of the Arashi clan. An only child. If I did not marry, the bloodline would end with me. A tournament was held and I married the victor. He was declared the strongest, therefore he was worthy. However, it made me worry. Though he was a loving man and gave me three beautiful children, I was fearful of their future. If he was so strong, there could be others out there just as strong, if not more so. I didn't want our clan to fall and I didn't want power to go to someone who wouldn't take care of the village. Anyone who challenges the clan to a duel has a chance to win and if they do, they become the new ruler of the village. If my family wasn't strong enough…"

Sukiyumi bowed her head over the dagger.

"Kado was just learning to walk. What if I had been challenged while expecting a baby? I would be in no condition. What if he wasn't strong enough when he came of age? What if people took advantage of him? I couldn't let that happen. I thought it would be best to be intimidating because then no one would want to challenge us. They would be too afraid. I thought I had made the right choice. I didn't think the opposite would happen. I thought fear was best. That it was the same as respect."

Ran stared at his mother, letting it all sink in. He now realized that this whole thing was an act. She was raising them to be frightening because she didn't want people to hurt them. She became ruthless for their sake. She thought she was protecting them.

She never realized until now that she had inadvertently given them a miserable life. That they were more likely to be targeted and because of their upbringing were isolated from anyone who might have helped them. They had no friends, no one to look to other than their own kin. They were raised to behave a certain way, whether or not it was painful for them.

She hadn't protected them at all. She had made them miserable and alone.

"I'm so sorry," she told Ran. "I didn't realize what it was doing to you. To all of us. I made a terrible mistake. And now it's too late."

"No, it's not," said Naruto.

"I'm afraid it is," said Sukiyumi. "We cannot change their minds after so long. People are set in their ways. Even if we were suddenly to change back to the way we used to be before I became a mother, no one would trust us. Their minds are made up."

Naruto shook his head. "That's not true. People can change. And sure, it will take some work, but people can come to change their minds about someone. Even someone they've feared for a long time. Even someone they've hated."

Shikamaru grinned. "I'd listen to him if I were you," he told them. "The guy knows what he's talking about. And we told you about a friend of ours who was seen as a monster and now the whole village loves him and he's their leader. It's not too late for you guys."

"But what if Mother was correct and even if we do change people will try to take advantage of us?" asked Ran.

"You can't expect everyone to love you. You have to take chances. Even if you don't have everyone's favor, it's worth it if you have a few who are loyal to you and are willing to help you out."

"You know how Mother feels about help. If we…"

Shikamaru shrugged. "I think it turned out pretty well for us so far. Neither of us could have done all this by ourselves." He gestured to the warehouse. "And while we were helping each other here, Naruto and Sai were able to secure the source of the infection. Now Sakura and Kado are working on a cure together."

Ran still looked uncertain. Even if he was on board with their method, Shikamaru suspected he was still concerned about his mother's feelings on the matter.

Either he would follow her teachings and become ruthless, or it would be another thing to hide under his bed.

"It's like we said before," Shikamaru went on. "Ninja squads are divided into a certain number of groups consisting of people with certain skills that will help balance out the squad so it can function more efficiently. Long-ranged fighters are paired with short-ranged fighters. Weapons specialists with martial artists. Medics teamed up with people who see combat frequently and like things up close and personal. Even teams that specialize in tracking have members with different tracking skills. That way if something doesn't work, you have another method. Everything's balanced."

"And besides," added Naruto, "even our squads get broken up and paired with others sometimes. It depends on what's needed for the mission."

"The point is, you can't shut people out and we need a backup plan. Most importantly, don't be afraid to ask for help. You'd be surprised."

"But what about what Mother said about the people losing faith in your skills because you asked for help?" asked Ran.

"Our Hokage has asked for help in the past when dealing with dangerous situations and we haven't lost faith in her yet. In fact, a lot of us respected her more for doing it. It takes a wise person to know when to ask for help. Not asking for help makes you seem stubborn. Plus, it makes us feel better knowing she has friends willing to help her out and protect our village. It shows she has connections and is trustworthy."

Ran seemed intrigued but unsure. His mother's teachings were strict.

Shikamaru shrugged. "That's my input on the matter. You guys can do what you want. But like Naruto pointed out, your current methods created one enemy. There could be more if things don't change. And I know changing is hard, but it turned out pretty well for those who did. It's your choice, but personally, I think it's in your best interest and the interest of this town to consider other means."

Sukiyumi sighed, grasping the dagger tightly. "I fear it's too late to change their opinion of us at this point. And wouldn't a sudden change warrant suspicion? To go from one extreme to another?"

"It doesn't have to be extreme," said Naruto. "Your duty is to your people, right? You're supposed to help take care of them and protect them, right? That doesn't have to change. Just don't threaten people as much."

"He's right. The change can be gradual."

"Just show them that you really do care about them."

Ran sighed. "We're all about combat. How do we..?"

"Well…" Naruto looked over his shoulder at Sai. He grinned and looked back at Ran and his mother. "You can start by helping the infected people get better. That way you'll be getting rid of the threat and be showing them that you're there for them."

"He's right," said Shikamaru. "You've already got one half of your duty down. You can protect them. That's what all the combat is about, right? Now show them that they can rely on you in other ways, without the weapons. There are other ways to look after people."

Ran looked at his mother. Sukiyumi sighed. She looked from the bloody dagger to her second oldest.

"I am not certain it will change their minds… But I suppose we can try it."

It would be a long road ahead of them, but at least they were willing to take that first step and that was most important. It showed they were willing.

* * *

Sai slowly opened his eyes. He saw metal pipes and a ceiling above his head. He looked around slowly. He looked down and saw Sakura checking his vitals. When she saw his eyes upon her, she approached slowly, keeping her eyes on him.

"Hey," she said gently. "Hi, Sai."

"Hi, Sakura," he said.

Hearing him speak, Sakura gasped happily and gave him a big smile. "Sai! You can talk! I'm so glad."

"That's a first."

She started laughing.

A second later, Sai saw the heads of several friends framing his view of the ceiling. They all looked pleased to see him.

"Sai!"

"He's ok!"

"What a relief."

"I told you he'd be fine. Somebody owes me some money."

"Not the time, Kiba."

Sakura put her hand on Sai's forehead. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

"My body feels heavy." Sai tried to lift his arms but he couldn't. "I feel kind of sore, too."

"I'm not surprised. After everything you went through." She shined a flashlight in his eyes. "That super strength of yours is probably gone and since it was unnatural, your body's reacting this way. After using it, your muscles must be worn out. Don't worry. A little rest and you should be fine. From what I can tell, it's similar to over exerting yourself. Like lifting too much weight. You'll be fine."

"That's good."

Naruto leaned in closer to talk to Sai. "Sai, do you remember anything? I mean, from while you were like that?"

"Um…" Sai gave it some thought. "I remember the village. And, um…"

"What about here? Do you remember the warehouse? Or the forest? Or any of that?"

Sai thought back. "I think I do."

"You do?"

He tried to nod, but he only had enough strength to slightly tilt his head down then up once. "I remember you shouting at me."

"You do?" Naruto wondered if that was from today or yelling at him back at the Leaf Village.

"I remember you pulling me up. I can see your face and I remember all this noise. I remember trees and your faces. And water. Um… I remember being with you and you talking to me. And I remember we battled together somewhere underground."

"So you do remember all that stuff."

"I guess I do. Not all the details. Most of it feels like I was in a fog or dreaming. A lot of it didn't make any sense, but somehow I felt it did make sense at the time." Sai shut his eyes briefly. "It was almost like coexisting with a stranger. It was weird."

It seemed that Sai was aware of quite a bit of what he did while the serum had taken over. Naruto wondered if Sai would remember any of it. He had a feeling he might because there were times it seemed that Sai could understand what he was saying and knew who he was. If Sai remembered a good chunk of his time as a tiger, it meant that he really was present in some way and not a mindless animal. Naruto knew it was Sai all along but the others had their doubts.

As far as Naruto was concerned, it was Sai all along, but Sai as a tiger.

Even concluding this, Naruto still had a lot of questions.

"Did you understand what I was saying during that time, Sai? And was that you thinking you were a tiger or you with the instincts of a tiger? I'm asking because you're usually not that aggressive."

Sai gave him a puzzled look. "Uh…"

"Naruto, don't give him complicated questions like that," lectured Sakura. "He needs to rest. The cure is still doing its job. Give him time."

Sai was still thinking about the question. "I guess a little of both, maybe. More instinct than thought, I guess. I really don't know. Most of it was just… I don't know what was going on. It's kind of foggy for me. Like I said, it made sense when I did it but after I came to my senses it didn't make sense anymore."

That was Sai's explanation back at the village. Sai did have the mind of a tiger. His human self didn't know what was going on or why he was doing such things.

It wasn't his fault.

Whether or not Sai recalled the things he did or heard, Naruto wanted to say it to his face.

"I'm sorry, Sai."

Sai looked at him. "For what?"

"Back at the village when I yelled at you. I shouldn't have done that. I should have realized something was wrong. I should have known you wouldn't be that way. The way you were acting... It wasn't like you at all and I should have seen that. It wasn't your fault. I screwed up. The way I acted…"

Naruto grit his teeth. He truly felt terrible about it. He had to admit his mistake. He had to let Sai know how sorry he was.

"I didn't want you to think I hated you. I didn't want you to feel like I abandoned you," he confessed earnestly. "When I found out what was going on, I felt terrible. I should have been a better friend. I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry."

Sai carried no resentment towards Naruto at all.

"It's alright," he told him. "I don't hate you at all. At the time, I was more worried about what was going on with me."

"I should have been, too. That's my point. I just thought you were being a jerk. I should have noticed something else was going on. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that. I'm sorry."

"It's fine," Sai told him. "You don't have to apologize for anything. I'm ok."

Sai may not have remembered everything in detail, but he remembered Naruto being by his side for most of it. That alone told him that Naruto never abandoned him.

Knowing that he was in the Leaf Village and was now in the land the Arashi ruled over, he understood that guilt and loyalty drove Naruto to follow him and keep him safe. He knew Naruto rescued him. He knew Naruto felt guilty for not noticing something was amiss and did everything in his power to make it right. Even admitting his wrongs out loud and apologizing to his face.

As far as Sai was concerned, there was nothing to forgive.

Knowing what Naruto must have gone through and recalling him being by his side for most of it made Sai happy. It gave him a sense of importance only a bond with a friend could give him. It was good to know he mattered to someone.

Seeing all these faces surrounding him with looks of concern and joy left him feeling content.

"I just wanted you to know I was sorry," Naruto finished.

"It's ok," Sai told him again. "You don't have to say it. Your actions told me all I needed to know." Sai smiled. "I never thought for a moment that you would abandon me. I think I know you better than that."

Naruto's actions were more than enough.

Naruto was glad Sai wasn't angry with him. "Thanks, Sai."

"I should be the one thanking you. You helped me."

"But you had my back in that fight. We got the cure together."

Sai gave a weak grin and looked back at the ceiling.

Sakura leaned over him. "That serum took a lot out of you. You really need to rest."

"Hm." Sai was too weak to nod this time. "Sounds good to me." Sai closed his eyes and fell asleep almost instantly.

"He'll be fine, Naruto. Let's let him rest."

"How's Shino doing?" Hinata asked.

Sakura took the group over to the next table where Shino lay on his back. They removed the ropes from his arms after giving him the injection. He wasn't willing to take it at first, snapping at Sakura every time she got close to him with the needle. Kado had to hold Shino's head while she gave him the injection. Soon after, Shino became comatose and hadn't moved since.

"Sai was infected with a slightly different infection. Will the same cure work on all of them?" Hinata asked.

"Don't worry. We accounted for that. The cure should work on all of them, but we're keeping them here for observation just in case. According to this, Shino's pretty much back to his old self."

"Great," said Kiba, leaning on the table Shino was laying on. "Then I can tell him all about what he missed when he wakes up. And how impressed he'll be at my detective skills."

"I'm awake and I doubt I'll be impressed."

Kiba looked down. "Oh. Hi." He waved his hand over Shino's face.

"Stop that."

Kiba put his hand down. "It's hard to tell if you're awake or not with your eyes covered up like that."

"Tell me about it," said Naruto. "He gets pissed off if you can't tell, too. Like that time I found him sleeping in the woods."

"I wasn't asleep, I just didn't want to talk to you."

"What doesn't piss you off? You get mad when I can't recognize you with your face covered up, you get mad when I can't tell if you're awake or not. And you call me a pain in the ass."

Sakura checked Shino's vitals. "How are you feeling?" she asked him.

"Pathetic," he answered. "I can't believe I let down my guard like that. I can't believe how foolish I was."

"Don't be too hard on yourself," said Sakura. "The guy who infected you had combat training. He knows how to sneak up on a ninja. There's nothing to be ashamed of."

Shino didn't sound convinced. "Even so, I'm disappointed in myself. I should have been paying more attention. It all happened so quick, I didn't even have time to escape. I'm so angry."

"You're not the only one who underestimated someone today," said Kiba. "I hate to admit it, but I was a bit surprised by the strength of the noble family. I took on one of their members. I didn't lose, but I was surprised all the same. I had no idea their youngest member would be so strong. They're not even ninja."

"Being a ninja or not has little to do with someone's combat abilities," Shino told him.

"But we're ninja and we've been training from a young age to be ninja."

"So? The noble family has been training its members since birth how to fight. Their skills are on par with that of a ninja. However, their methods are a bit different. Plus, they don't have jutsu to learn. While we're busy practicing our jutsu, the noble family's hard at work with weapons training and martial arts, in addition to stealth and physical strength. Just because someone's not a ninja doesn't mean you should underestimate them."

"Yeah, yeah."

"Besides, with their reputation and their reasons to be so strong, you would be foolish to-"

"I get it!" Kiba turned his back to the table and scoffed. "I'm not sure if I like you better when you're trying to bite my head off or trying to bite my head off."

Shino glanced down at his body. "I can't do much of anything at the moment. I can't move my body. I feel numb and sore at the same time."

"That should wear off with some rest," Sakura told him.

"I take it you managed to take care of the infection."

"You should be fine. Just get some rest."

Shino lay quietly and didn't move.

When Naruto and Kiba teasingly waved their hands over Shino's face to see if he was awake or not, he threatened to send his bugs after them because they could move. They didn't try it again.

* * *

Within a matter of hours, the locals were not only able to converse with those around them but were able to sit up. With the help of the ninja and noble family members, the now cured people were encouraged to walk.

Sukiyumi watched from the wall, observing a sight she never thought she'd see.

Her son Kado was bracing a man against his body as he tried to lift himself off a cot. With his help, the man was able to walk slowly around his bed and sat back down. After the short trip, he smiled at Kado and thanked him.

Before this, her children were helping distribute the cure to the people along with the ninja. The people woke up thanking them. Some seemed surprised to see them and some were wary, but after a while, they seemed to warm up to the idea of the noble family helping them. To be catered to. To respond with something other than fear.

Knowing she was the cause of much of this fear, Sukiyumi remained distant. She thought it was best for her children to be seen making a change first, believing it would be easier.

She saw how Ran fumbled through his bedside manner, unused to such a thing. How he nervously injected the people with needles and stumbled over uneasy words in an attempt to comfort them. Words of encouragement towards him were a bit different and he rarely had to comfort others.

His mother could see with such clarity how she had wronged her children. How she deprived them of something so basic she thought they didn't need it. Something she thought would make them weak in the eyes of others. To see how her own son had difficulty talking with others, even lacking confidence in offering someone comfort, made her see the truth and understood where she failed.

Her son was physically strong, but he was broken inside. She worried how much.

Her spirits rose when she saw her other children and the ninja come over to help him through it. To give him pointers or just stand near him.

He was fumbling and uncertain, but now he was laughing with a couple local boys his age.

They were unafraid of him and he looked like he was one of them. Accepted. Normal.

Seeing how everyone had joined together and how the people seemed to trust in the noble family and be grateful to them reminded her of how things used to be when she was growing up. How the people smiled at her when she walked down the street with her father. How they respected them; not feared them. She thought she would never see it again after what she had done, but this gave her hope that it was still there.

The forgotten relationship had returned. For some, it was never forgotten. They seemed relieved that the noble family had gone back to the old ways. For others, who were not old enough to recall the past, things were a bit awkward. Like the noble family, they weren't ready to let their guard down.

Shino walked over and sat in a chair beside Sukiyumi. The people in the room might not have noticed her in the shadows, but it was easy for Shino to spot her. He sensed she wasn't the most social person in the building, but something told him there was more to it than that.

"A strange sight to behold?" he asked her, trying to break the ice.

Sukiyumi barely looked at him. "Staying out of the way is best. The people are less afraid and will give my children a chance. If I go over there, things will change."

"As will your children, correct?" Shino said matter-of-factly. "I had a feeling that was why you haven't come over to help. For you, this is helping, isn't it?"

She sighed. "I notice that my children's demeanor changes when I'm around. I've seen it many times. Especially with Sayo. How she will be cheerful and the second she catches my eye, she stops and becomes stern like myself. I can see in her eyes that it is only mimicry. She does not sincerely want to be. It isn't in her. She is far too cheerful to be."

Just as Shino suspected. Sukiyumi was worried that her presence would not only strike fear into the recovering villagers, but that her children would think she wouldn't approve of their current behavior and try to mimic her as closely as possible. Like flipping a switch, they would change from one way to another.

"I thought I was doing the right thing for them," she told Shino. "I didn't want them to be paranoid and fear the world, telling them that anyone who knocks on our door is a potential threat. I made sure they wouldn't be fearful. I succeeded in that. However, by making them view the world in such a way, I've made them incapable of interacting with others. I told them that as long as they were strong, they had nothing to fear. Their combat skills are topnotch, but their social skills are sourly lacking. Even worse, I taught them to never ask for help. I thought it would make them weak in the eyes of others. How wrong I was."

Shino looked at the noble children catering to the recovering villagers, helping them walk and bringing them water.

"They know more than you think," Shino told her. "They seem to be doing well."

"Only because they have people to help them. Something I told them they could never accept." Sukiyumi sighed. "I may have been foolish in some ways, but I am not fool enough to not notice when my children are hiding something from me."

Shino turned his head to look at her.

"I know my eldest son wants to be a doctor. I see him study often. I don't discourage it. But there are times when Sayo disappears and claims to be training, but not on our property. She has kept it a secret. Even I do not know where she goes. But knowing that she has to hide it so well for fear of my reaction is…" She sighed heavily. "If I hadn't been so strict with them, they wouldn't feel the need to hide things from me. I'm certain Ran has his secrets. I worry that he is the most broken of my children."

Shino looked at Ran struggle through a conversation with a local. Partway through it, he looked around nervously for his siblings to come help him. Sayo came over with a big smile and talked to the villager for him but wouldn't let her brother leave. She seemed to want him to observe and take notes.

A few moments later, Ran was helping the villager to his feet while Sayo clapped her hands and cheered the man on while he tried to walk on his weak legs. He stumbled and Sayo caught him. Ran stood by watching until Sayo told him to help the man back to the bed. It seemed Ran didn't know enough to do that until after Sayo said something. Apparently, he thought Sayo was managing just fine and didn't need him.

Several times Ran let someone stumble into something, not knowing enough to grab them before they fell. Now that he was getting the hang of it, he reached out to steady someone without his siblings having to say anything.

Combat he knew, people he didn't.

From his observations of the three siblings, Shino believed Sayo was the most normal among them. Certainly, more social. Kado was more of an introvert and Ran was very shy and unsure around those who weren't in his family. Kado knew how to talk to people, but his brother didn't know what to do unless he had a weapon in his hand.

"He's not nervous around people if he's fighting them, but outside of combat he's like a lost kitten."

"He'll get used to it."

Sukiyumi nodded. "It's probably best if I keep my distance in that case."

Shino glanced at her then back at the crowd of people. "From one wallflower to another, I can tell you that sometimes it's best just to observe. Interfere too much and it can cause problems. But there are times when you should intervene and play a part in their lives. You are their mother. I'm sure they'll listen to you."

"Listening to me is what got them into trouble in the first place when I was only trying to protect them."

"Perhaps. But I'm saying that if they do listen to you, then you can tell them to do their own thing for a while." He paused then said, "Or perhaps you could learn something from them."

Shino struggled to his feet. His legs were still wobbly but he was getting strength back in them quickly.

He didn't want to lecture Sukiyumi anymore than he already had. No doubt Naruto gave her a piece of his mind for a while. He wasn't sure if there was anything he could say that hadn't already been said. In any case, all they could do was offer advice. Once they left the village, it was up to the noble family to either keep things up or change. The choice was theirs in the end.

* * *

One chapter left! I'm wrapping it up.

Please review! ^-^


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30:**

Thanks to everyone's help, Sai and Shino made a speedy recovery and were ready to head back to the Leaf Village with their friends.

The noble family was still looking after the recovering villagers, but they had enough time to see them off and thank them.

Sakura and Kado had a nice conversation about medical knowledge and exchanged notes with each other. Ran struggled through a 'thank you' which still felt weird to say to a stranger, but it was getting easier.

"Naruto," Kado singled him out.

Naruto approached. "Yeah?"

"We know about the zoo," he told him. "Sayo's been going there for some time. Mother now knows it, too."

Naruto groaned. "So that's it, then? She's forbidden to go there ever again, is that it?"

Kado smiled. "Actually, no. Mother did some consideration and thinks it's a good thing for Sayo. Says she's able to fit in better thanks to her time there. Even I think she was able to help all those people so well because of her time taking care of animals."

Naruto was surprised and pleased at this news. "So she approves? Sayo can keep going there?"

"Sure seems like it. Sayo's thrilled."

Ran looked at the ground. "I know things haven't been easy for her. She says she has more animal friends than humans." He looked at his brother. "I guess that means we should try to repair things here between us and the villagers for her sake."

Kado nodded. "We owe our little sister at least that much."

"What happened to the doctor by the way?" asked Kiba. "Last we saw him, the bastard flew through the air and crashed into the warehouse."

"Oh, yes. You were too busy helping us with the people at the time," said Kado. "While we were dealing with all the infected people and getting them rounded up to be cured, we found the doctor on the warehouse floor covered in blood and ripped apart. But he was still alive."

"After all that?"

"Apparently. Mother said she would deal with him personally. She locked him up in his own private cell. Some of the people knew what he had done to them and when the other people found out… Well, let's just say they trust us more than the doctor now."

"Even if he was strong enough to leave his prison cell, I think he's staying in there for his own protection," said Ran. "The whole village is hounding for his blood after what he did."

"Which means this village is going to be needing a new doctor," Kado declared proudly. "And Mother said I was free to study for it and become a great one. The clinic is even letting me help out and learn the tools of the trade, as it were."

"That's great to hear," said Sakura. "I bet you'll do great."

"Well, I always wanted to help out the village in ways other than combat."

Naruto looked at Ran. "What about you? Kado's training to become a doctor and Sayo's still helping out at the zoo. What are you going to do?"

Ran shrugged. "Not sure. I still love combat, but…" He looked to the side. "Seeing all those people… Hearing them thank me for helping them feel better… I kind of liked that, too. But I have no idea what I'm going to do."

"I'll help you out," said Kado. "You need to learn how to interact with others."

"Everyone keeps saying that."

"Mother talked it over with me and Father. She thinks it might be a good idea for you two to try to make amends with the villagers in your own ways. She wants them to trust our family again and show everyone that we are not as scary as she's made us out to be."

"Good luck with that," Naruto said earnestly. "I know you guys can do it."

"At the very least, do it for Sayo," added Kiba. He had taken a liking to the young warrior girl.

Ran grinned. "I guess… If it helps give Sayo a chance at a normal life. Maybe have some real friends. That would be great."

"Never too late."

"We better get going. Thanks for everything," Sakura told them.

Kado and Ran raised their brows. "We should be the ones thanking you."

"We helped each other. Thanks for trusting us and letting us help you. And helping with the cure and all."

"Back at you," said Ran.

Naruto had his friends hoped that their words of encouragement would spur the family towards a better dynamic. Naruto believed they could change for the better but some of his friends still had their doubts. It was up the Arashi clan to prove the naysayers wrong.

The ninja started on their way home. They kept asking Sai and Shino if they needed to stop and rest, knowing they were still recuperating. They were very generous with their rests along the way, but both of them toughed it out, not wanting to be babied.

However, they took advantage of their weakened state when they reached the Leaf Village and had to face the Hokage's wrath for leaving without permission and for Shino's group to go on their own side mission without reporting back like they should have.

Tsunade showed them leniency, relieved that Sai was back to normal. After hearing about what they went through, she decided that they had made the right choice and shouldn't be punished for saving so many lives and making allies out of the Arashi clan. No one had ever been able to do that before.

"I wouldn't say we're counted as their allies," said Shino. "Only that they won't be so quick to kill us if we should run into them again."

"Buzzkill," Kiba muttered.

* * *

Naruto was pleased with how things turned out. He was happy to have been able to say good-bye to Sayo shortly before they left. She was at the zoo, of course, helping Zumitsu with the animals. He had recovered from his ordeal but willing to let Sayo help him with most of the work since many of his staff members were still under the weather.

He wondered what the future held for Sayo. Hopefully she could gain a few real friends who weren't afraid of her or wished to abuse Sayo's position for their own benefit. Friendship wasn't built on perks, after all. At least, it shouldn't have been.

After meeting Naruto, Sayo knew it was possible to find real friends who didn't fear her or her family. With that hope, Sayo would undoubtedly pursue her dream of having real friends.

Naruto looked at Sai as they walked side by side down the street with Sakura. He absentmindedly scratched Sai's jawline with two fingers.

Sai turned his head. "What are you doing?" he asked.

Naruto pulled away. "Oh. Sorry. Force of habit, I guess."

Since Sai wasn't purring at his touch, it was a sure sign that he was back to normal with no residual effects from the serum.

"Ok..."

Sakura rolled her eyes dramatically. "Oh, for crying out loud..."

"What?" Naruto asked, looking from one to the other. "Just checking."

"So you did that on purpose?"

"No, actually. But it's good to know, right?"

"Whatever."

By this time, word of Sai's condition had spread to most of their friends. Naruto decided that this was a good thing because now they would know that Sai hadn't acted that way on purpose. They probably knew that anyway. However, since they had only just arrived back home, it was unlikely their friends were aware of the fact that he was cured. Not unless Hinata's group went around and told everyone, which they probably hadn't. Naruto wanted to spread the good news and let everyone know that Sai was back to his old self. He wanted to tell everyone about the mission he had taken on without anyone knowing; accepted for those who spotted him and came along to assist.

"I have an idea," Naruto declared spiritedly. "Let's celebrate Sai and Shino's recovery and another job well-done!"

"Again?" Sakura asked with a groan. "Naruto, we can't just..."

"Why not? It'll be great. Everyone's back in the village and things are back to normal. I say we do it. You on board, Sai?"

Sai grinned. "Um. Sure."

"Great! Now we just have to convince the others. Choji will join and Shikamaru will be there if Choji is. Unless he's too busy for some reason. You think Ino will come?"

"If Sai's going, I bet she will," said Sakura.

"Hinata will come so I bet the others will, too. We just have to find Lee and make sure he knows. He can take a time-out from training for a meal with friends. No doubt about that. Now where do we want to eat? You think ramen will be good? Maybe barbecue."

"Again?"

"Why not? It's good and we can fit everyone at one big table."

Sai stood beside the two and smiled. All this normalcy was making what happened to him a distant memory. It was good to be around his friends like this.

When they finally decided on dinner and where to have it, everyone showed up, and to everyone's relief, the only ruckus occurred when someone accidentally called Choji 'fat'. At least it wasn't Sai this time. Choji's outburst was a lot more normal.

* * *

As far as what became of the Arashi clan, it took years, but they were finally able to restore their old reputation; the one they had before Sukiyumi decided to change things for the sake of her children's safety. This time, the change she made for her children was a lot better.

The village trusted them again without fear. It took a long time, but it was worth it in the end.

Sukiyumi still sits as the head of the noble household alongside her husband.

Her eldest son is still being groomed to take the position one day. Until then, Kado happily treats the sick and injured villagers as their respected doctor. He learned the tools of the trade through independent study, Sakura's notes and being taken under the wings of several people in the field, such as the nurses and the people in pharmaceuticals. He is seen always smiling when people approach him asking for help.

Sayo still assists at the local zoo, even demonstrating certain things to the young children who show up regularly. Some children still attempt to enter the zoo by hoping the fence, but because Sayo spends so much time there, she is able to chase them off before they can get themselves into danger. Zumitsu commented that she would make an excellent guard since the zoo had become a second home to her, but Sayo digressed from such a title. She is perfectly content being the zookeeper's assistant. Still, her combat skills are so well-honed that she is able to detect fence-jumping children long before they can make it into the exhibits. Although, half the time, those fence-jumping children are sneaking in to see her. Sayo had become quite popular in their eyes and didn't wanted to leave.

As for Ran, he was able to put his love for combat to good use while being able to work on his social skills. He is now able to interact with others through combat training lessons. The idea actually came from his father but it had to be run by Sukiyumi before it could be taken any further. After much debate, Sukiyumi decided that perhaps it wasn't a bad idea for the villagers to learn some self-defense from the noble family. Her paranoia seemed to subside with time.

Now Ran teaches a self-defense class in the village, showing people young and old how to defend themselves just in case they should ever need it. Though worried about the power these lessons would provide initially, the entire family was pleased to see that no matter how much the people learned, they still respected the family and recognized them as the strongest among them.

Out of curiosity, Naruto scheduled a trip to their home just to see how they were doing. He was pleased to see how things had turned out for them, but he couldn't stay long. When he arranged this visit, he was one week away from being named the Leaf Village's Hokage. He knew he had to check in on Sayo's family now before he was confined to a desk and enough work to keep him busy for the next decade. It was better to do it now while he still had the chance.

Though it had taken years, everyone seemed to have found their calling and achieved their dreams.

* * *

The end!

Hope you guys liked it.

Thank you for reading and please review! ^-^


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